Warriors of the World: Flight of the Phoenix
by Bergamot-Dreams
Summary: Three months after the events in Warriors of the World, the Raulus have now formed a guild! But the War of Emperium is fraught with politics, sabotage and scandals - and what is a 'warrior of the world', come to think of it? Complete.
1. New Beginnings

WARRIORS OF THE WORLD: FLIGHT OF THE PHOENIX

a ragnarok online fanfic

Chapter 1

**New Beginnings**

In the bustling streets of Prontera, nothing was going wrong. The guards that were at their usual posts were chatting brightly with bystanders, the merchants were shouting their wares and so many others of Rune-Midgard's population were going about their daily business.

Prontera Plaza was a meeting place for all, regardless of who they were. Here knights and crusaders discussed their latest strategies and techniques, blacksmiths forged weapons, priests healed others, swordsmen and those of the younger generation started their journeys and, all in all, did what they usually did for years.

Amidst the crowd in the plaza there was a small clearing. People streamed past the occupants of the clearing, not even taking a glance at them.

Anyone who did would have taken notice of the two of them. They didn't seem out of the ordinary, but somehow there was something to them. Something...different.

One of them was a knight. He did not look impressive; in fact, he seemed only about five feet tall. His outstanding features were his bushy white hair, slightly grey at the roots, his steady, deep green eyes and his unknown sword at his side. He was wearing a visor and the usual fins that had somehow become popular once more on either side of it.

The other was a wizard. He was an impressive six foot, with flaming red hair of which one lock covered his left eye. People took one look at his golden eye and hurried away - well, except for the group of girls clustered nearby and jostling each other as they dared their friends to talk to him. He was indeed handsome and just the right man, they thought.

The knight nodded once. "My name is Valkron."

The wizard bowed his head slightly. "I am Emeth."

The knight called Valkron. "Pleased to meet you." His eyes gazed steadily onwards into the wizard's eyes as he offered his hand.

The wizard called Emeth took Valkron's hand and shook it firmly, his eyes never once moving from the knight's face. "It is a pleasure."

They released hands at the same time. Valkron said, "I am sure you wish to ask me something."

"As a matter of fact, I do," answered Emeth.

"What is it, then?"

"I wish to join your guild."

There was silence. Then Valkron said, "Very well."

"Thank you." The wizard bowed deeply for a second.

"What is _wrong_ with both of you?" said a crusader, suddenly appearing on the scene. "I've been watching you from the window and you're just going through some odd welcome procedure? For Odin's sake, Valkron, Emeth is _already_ a member of the Raulus guild!"

"Iruna," said the knight, after digging his ear vigorously, "I am merely keeping to procedures."

Iruna threw her hands up into the air. "Really? What, inducting Emeth several months late?"

"Now, now, Iruna," said the wizard soothingly, "he has his reasons."

"Valkron,' said the crusader dangerously, ignoring Emeth, "stop this now."

"All right, all right," said the knight. "Besides, I don't want to keep going on and on about this. Let's get back into the inn."

He made shooing gestures with his hands. Iruna gave him one last glare before turning away and striding back into the inn. Emeth gave him an apologetic look before turning away as well, shaking his head at the girls as he walked past them. They looked downcast at his rejection.

Valkron watched both of them go before walking over to the bench outside the inn and sitting down on it. As the people streamed past him he sat back and closed his eyes, letting the sounds filter away into the background as he thought...

It had been three months since the world had been clouded in darkness. It was hard to forget that time. Although almost no one knew what had happened since their souls were taken from them a lot of people seemed to be gossiping about the events that had transpired. Valkron had heard them, and none of the stories were right.

But the king had survived the dark period. While everyone had been bundled into Al de Baran, Payon and Juno he had stayed underground in a small village just near the border. No one had known. Argath's monsters had not sensed him at all. In no time he had caught wind of the Raulus party's deeds and had immediately sent out word to reward them.

Valkron was of course happy to, but the dark period had left him with some bad memories. He was still having the occasional nightmare or so, often causing Emeth, Iruna or Samaroh to run into his room in the middle of the night. The knight had not spoken to anyone about them, but he knew what the three of them guessed. And they were right.

Now what he wanted to do was stay away from the darkness. It was much better, sitting in the light.

He lifted his head, savouring the warmth of the hot sun. Summer was passing and autumn would be coming soon. But now, before the world reverted into the white place he had seen during the time of the portal, he wanted to enjoy every little bit of the life force that was flowing throughout the world once more.

This had been happening for a long time. Valkron had never felt happier.

Except for one thing. Their guild still consisted of the original Raulus party. No one wanted to join it, no matter how hard they advertised the guild. The other, much bigger guilds had returned.

The king had also decided that, to prevent such a horrible time from happening again, he wanted to hire the most powerful guild in the kingdom. After he announced it there had been a big fight between the guilds and the Prontera Chivalry was ordered to stop it immediately.

There had been a period of tense peace, and then one night a member of the Black Cross was foolish enough to insult the leader of Apocalypse Ultima in a tavern - the Crown and Axe, to be specific. And no one, not even the poorest beggar, would have ever dared to cause such a fuss in the king's tavern until then.

The Prontera Chivalry had taken _weeks_ to clean up the mess.

Thus the famous War of Emperium was established. The king ordered the construction of five castles situated around four cities - Al de Baran, Geffen, Payon and Prontera. The exact locations of these castles would be undisclosed. It was up to the guilds to do a little reconnaissance.

Twice every week, at a certain time in the afternoon trumpets would sound across the kingdom. Then there would be a massive rush as the guilds went for the castles they had chosen and something similar to a pub brawl - except on a much larger scale - would break out.

Valkron disliked this. It seemed a waste of resources and time. Hospices in the kingdom would be chock full of injured warriors until even a sardine wouldn't have fit into them. He thought there was a better alternative to this, but he was also wise enough to keep quiet about it. Everyone seemed to enjoy fighting in the War of Emperium - or, as some of his colleagues had put it, "WoEing."

Valkron shook his head. To prevent war they were causing war. There was no sense in whatever was happening these days.

But the reason why the Raulus guild had so little popularity was because the main guilds were far too powerful, and therefore everyone wanted to be a part of them. Big names like the Exodus Faction, the Odyssey, the Seven Eyes and Exorcisma were head-turners; the guilds themselves had thousands of members all eager to be part of the action.

And there were the little guilds, the Raulus included, sitting around and watching all the action happen to others.

It was not that Valkron wanted to be part of the War of Emperium. He was actually quite glad to stay out of it. But in his personal opinion a proper guild did not have just eight members in it.

"Fretting again, Valkron?" said a voice.

The knight opened his eyes and looked up. Someone with a lot of hair was blocking the sun.

"What now, Iruna?" he said, sitting up on the bench.

The crusader shook her head. She had taken to leaving her blindfold around her neck. Most people who knew her were shocked at the revelation that she had't been blind at all.

"You always fret about the guild," she said. "You've been doing it ever since it was set up. Move up, I want to sit down next to you."

Valkron did so. Iruna gathered her skirts and took her seat. The guild had not been fighting for some time, so they had taken to walking around without most of their armour or clothes. Nocturne, for example, was not wearing his short, white jacket.

"So," she said, resting her head on Valkron's shoulder, "what were you thinking about now?"

Valkron slipped an arm around her waist and sighed, resting his head on hers. He could feel her soft hair under his cheek. "The usual."

"Oh, you. You always take so much responsibility for something you can't help."

"Well, as guild leader I should be," retorted the knight. "It looks like we need something better than just trying to tell people about our guild."

"You know, I believe that we'll get some good members soon," said Iruna consolingly. "Maybe you don't have to worry so much about it."

"I'm thinking of a guild that helps the novices around here," said Valkron. "These days the bigger guilds are snubbing them. _Everybody_ snubs them."

"It's usual," said Iruna dryly.

"Oh? We're not doing it."

"We're different."

Valkron settled back. He did not intend to argue with Iruna over this matter. She had a tendency to speak calmly during an argument, and it was infuriating for him sometimes. But like all the women he had met in his life he could feel a certain aura around her that made her seem so knowing. Perhaps he should really just do what she said.

"The odd thing about you, Valkron," said Iruna, her eyes half-closed, "is that you're not the typical sort of man I come across every day. Men don't like to lose an argument and they just persist. But _you_ just keep quiet."

"I'd rather fight Baphomet alone than argue with you," replied Valkron.

Iruna's clear laugh rang through the noise of the crowd. "Was that really you who said that?"

"Yes. What, you don't trust me?"

Iruna put a hand to her forehead. "You never fail to surprise me, Valkron."

The knight shook his head, but he was smiling. "We still hardly know each other."

There was a wolf whistle from overhead. Valkron and Iruna looked up to see Samaroh waving at them from a first floor window, grinning cheekily at them.

"Having a nice romantic moment?" he called down.

"Any more of that, Samaroh, and I'm going to go up there and give you what for!" shouted back Valkron. The priest chuckled.

"I'd like to see you try!" His head disappeared back into the inn and there was the sound of wood against wood as the window was shut.

"No one's changed, have they?" said Iruna, looking back down at Valkron.

Valkron looked her in the eye. "Nope, not all."

As they settled down onto the bench Valkron slipped an arm around the crusader's waist and drew her closer to him. She allowed him, and amidst the bustle of the crowd two lovers sank into their own private world, a small island of peace in the midst of a sea of sheer busyness.

* * *

Valkron draped his towel over his head and gave his hair a massive rub in an attempt to dry his hair completely. Iruna always told him off for it, but the reason why his hair was so difficult to tame was mainly due to inheritance.

After a while he hung his towel around his neck. It had been a good shower, and he wanted to make the most of it last.

He laughed a little at this thought. Luckily he was alone in the room. Everyone was either outside or busy with their work. He had been given a long break and was due to return to work in a week's time. At the same time Iruna would be getting inducted into the Order of Juno once again.

Valkron sat down on one of the two beds in the room. Emeth slept in the other one. It wasn't hard to tell whose was whose - Valkron's double bed was always neatly made at 6 in the morning while Emeth's would be messy every time.

The knight stared into space, becoming serious again. Although he was having a long break it didn't mean he could rest. Iruna understood that as well, and she too was keeping herself fit. Likewise Valkron was still visiting the Chivalry to check up on his students, some of which had died during the time of the portal.

Valkron closed his eyes, letting the sounds of the outside world filter away. At times like this he really wanted some peace and quiet...

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in," said Valkron, not opening his eyes.

The door opened. "Busy?"

"No, apparently not." Valkron opened his eyes and looked up at Samaroh. "What did you think?"

"Iruna told me that you apparently like to think when you're alone. I thought I might be interrupting you."

"Hah, well, yes, you did. But I don't mind," Valkron added hastily, seeing Samaroh's expression. "It's good not to think of some things...sometimes."

"I hope it's not your nightm--"

"Don't bring that subject up or I _will_ throw you out of here," warned Valkron.

"Sorry."

"So what are you here for?"

"Well, the whole inn's empty," said Samaroh.

Ah. The inn. Ever since the War of Emperium began inns began catering for guilds in such an extravagant way that even Valkron got scared, initially. But he got used to it, and as all good warriors were wont to do he quickly adapted to the situation. For a cheap 5 zeny a head for a night the inn would let their rooms to a small guild.

Unfortunately the situation of everyone being out except for a handful of them was often magnified to a much larger scale in such a small place.

"I was thinking of recruiting today," Samaroh was saying when Valkron caught up with him. "You know, the usual--"

"Samaroh, the last time we did that people thought we were crazy," interrupted Valkron. "Obviously flyers aren't going to achieve anything. Forget it."

"That doesn't mean you're just going to leave it," said Samaroh severely.

"An opportunity will come. That's all I can say." Valkron ran a hand through his hair. "What time is it? Time passes damn slow when you've got nothing to do."

"It's three in the afternoon," replied Samaroh, looking at his pocket watch. During the time of the portal it had been greatly inaccurate, but now it told the right time.

"Okay, I've got to go down to the Chivalry. Got to check up on my students, see how they're doing with their substitute tutors." Valkron got up and pulled the towel from his neck. "Surely you've got something to do other than just sitting around in the inn."

"Well...I _could_ pop down to the Church and see what needs doing," said the priest thoughtfully, as the knight moved around, putting on his armour.

"Yeah, you do that." Valkron turned to look at the priest. "How's your training as an exorcist going?"

"Tough," answered Samaroh, shaking his head. "I have to meditate every day to increase my concentration. And my level of energy! People train to build up their stamina but just imagine trying to build up my energy!"

"You know, I can't," said Valkron carefully, "but you've given me a picture I didn't want to see."

"Exactly! I should have been learning exorcism in the first place." Samaroh got to his feet. "Well, I'll go and see. Good luck."

"See you, and enjoy your time," called back Valkron as the priest went out.

"I doubt it," came the answer, somewhere outside the rooms.

Valkron chuckled to himself and strapped his sword girdle on, shaking his head. Then he strode out, armed and dressed.

He was jostled by the crowd as he moved along to the Chivalry. Sometimes he regretted not taking his peco along, but then when he got to the doors he was thankful. The younger knights had taken to waiting at the doors and taking turns to help him bring Evlor into the stables. Valkron was not used to so much attention, and definitely not so much worship.

He walked up the steps to the bronze doors. Some of the younger knights, hoping to get a good word from him, sprang to action and reached for the handles.

"Stop right there!" barked Valkron. Their hands stopped inches from the doors.

The senior knight glared at them. "I'm perfectly capable, and you know it, of opening doors on my own. I don't need people serving me hand and foot! Now get back to your lessons and don't let me catch you here again, or your tutors will get wind of this! Get going!"

The knights scrambled out of the way. Valkron gave them one last glare before he pulled open the doors and walked in.

The receptionist fronting the counter bowed to him. "Hello, Valkron, I'll just sign you in."

"Yeah, go ahead," said the knight absently, as he walked past her.

The white stone of the Prontera Chivalry passed him as he made his way deep into the building. From the outside the facade was not so impressive - somehow the money that was supposed to repaint the front had gone into the War of Emperium - but it was much more impressive once you stepped inside. There was the entrance hall, with its beautifully carved walls and hanging tapestries from far and wide, telling the stories of the soldiers. There was the great ceremonial hall, where swordsmen had been knighted on a daily basis by the commander himself. Wherever he walked, he could feel centuries of respect and honour simply _pouring_ off the walls.

He just didn't think that the knights of the present age actually had the privilege of the gravitas the building had earned over the years.

As he neared the practice courts he could hear the sound of metal clashing. There were six of them, and they were so vast that at least thirty pairs of knights could train in each court. They were surrounded by a long pavilion, of which the roof was supported by tall pillars. Valkron walked in the shadows of these pillars, nodding in appreciation at some of the knights. No one saw him, but he didn't need to be seen.

He made his way into another passage, and walked down it before coming out into a courtyard. This was the place he loved the most. Although almost no one in the Chivalry - and people would pay to know this - knew, Valkron would hotly defend this part of the Chivalry if he had to.

It was a vast courtyard, paved with stone and lined with gravel. From an aerial view anyone would have seen a massive coat of arms formed by the paving stones laid in the gravel. It was not the one he wore on his tunic, but the emblem of the double-headed spread eagle - the symbol of the Prontera royal family.

In the middle of the eagle was a tree. Its great crown gave shade to all who came under its branches. There were benches built around the trunk, but they seemed as if no one had sat on them at all.

Valkron stopped when he was at the tree and pulled off his glove. He reached out and touched the bark. It was smooth and cool to the touch - just the way it had been when he had been knighted and entered the Chivalry.

By the gods, how long had it been standing here? Valkron could feel the age radiating off it. The tree had seen more than he had, and it was far older than he was. In the old days it was his companion. When he had felt sick and tired of being alone he would sit and read at the base of the tree, in the cool shade of its leaves, and he would not be by himself any longer.

The knight closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against the trunk, pushing up his visor to make it more comfortable. Under the tree he felt calmer, happier and far from the harsh reality that had forced him down all his life.

Thirty long years of being hammered into the anvil of life.

After a while Valkron straightened up and adjusted his visor. He walked out of the shade the tree offered and continued to walk on into the Chivalry, where the Military Division would be. He was still part of the Mercenary Knights' Battalion, after all.

* * *

It was sunset when he returned. Longing for a hot honey lemon drink he made his way back to the inn in silence. The streets of Prontera were still as busy as ever, and lights were turning on in the growing darkness.

The innkeeper greeted him warmly outside the door. Valkron nodded to her in acknowledgement and went straight for the inn's tavern. He knew everyone would be there.

And they were. They looked up at him as he stopped at their table. As a guild they were privileged to have an entire corner of the room to themselves, so their area was relatively quiet compared to other areas. Their corner was also separated from the rest of the room by a simple bamboo screen.

The knight looked at the table. There was Samaroh, his nose buried in a book as he took notes. There was Nocturne, yawning hugely. Beside him was his sister, Eni, reading from a potion manual as she stroked Fluffball, the pet lunatic and the guild's current mascot. There was Khan, examining a katar and discussing the quality of its blade to Amaru. There was Emeth, his head in his arms as he dozed after a hard day's work in Geffen. And there was Iruna, sitting upright in her seat without her blindfold and looking straight at Valkron.

"You look half as tired as the rest," she said. "Come on, sit down. I'll move up."

The knight obligingly sat down next to her as she shuffled up. Without question she waved over a waitress and asked for honey lemon drinks.

"Had a hard time, did you?" she said to him. "How much work was left incomplete since you were absent?"

Valkron shook his head and buried his face into his hands.

"Oh, come on now. It can't get that bad."

Valkron nodded frantically. It _could_ get that bad, yes.

"And you spent three hours shouting till you've completely lost your voice?"

Valkron shook his head. Not lost, no. Just sore.

The crusader nuzzled his shoulder. "You'll be fine. Look, the drinks are here."

Valkron accepted his mug and drank it gratefully. One by one the party picked up their mugs and drank too, downing the steaming liquid.

Iruna nudged Emeth. She was answered by a sleepy grunt.

"Come on, get up," she said. "You've been teaching all day. Get a drink."

Emeth blearily straightened up and took a deep, long draught. Iruna smiled approvingly of this behaviour.

"That was a horrible day," gasped Valkron, after a few quiet minutes.

"Couldn't have put it better," said Iruna. She put her arm around his shoulders. "But now we're together, so relax. You're not going to do it again tomorrow, are you?"

"Well, I do have to go back there."

"Then take a break. Maybe we should all turn in early, get a good night's sleep. How's that sound to you?"

Valkron considered this. Then he shrugged. "It's a good idea. And we should get Emeth up to his bed before he falls asleep under the table. Again."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I don't actually like estimating my characters' ages, but it would be best to say that Valkron is most likely in his late thirties/early forties. A bit late to have romance, but better late than never.


	2. Out and About

Chapter 2

**Out and About**

Valkron opened his eyes blearily. The sunlight shining through the window seemed quite bright.

"Morning, Valkron," said Emeth, bending over to look at the knight. "Just thought I'd help you wake up."

"Emeth, you're just making things worse." The knight was lying on his side facing the window, so he had good reason to say so. "I'm far too tired to get up at this time. Shut the curtains, will you?"

"We need light in this room," said Emeth. "I bruised my ankle walking into the table."

Valkron sighed and turned over in bed so that his back was facing the window instead. "When you leave shut the curtains. I need more sleep."

Emeth shook his head. "It's noon, just so's you know."

"WHAT?" Valkron shot up so fast the wizard backed off.

"I'm not joking," he said, waving his hands at the knight. "Samaroh just came in to tell me. He had to go off to the monastery today, to do more of his training. Since it's my day off today I'm not really going anywhere."

He watched as Valkron buried his face in his hands, his messy hair wilder than ever. Then the knight said, "And I thought I could get some sleep."

"Apparently not, though."

"Taken a shower?"

"Yeah. Iruna's got some breakfast saved for you, though it really should be lunch now. You're a lucky guy, you are."

Valkron swung his legs free of the blankets and off the bed. "Oh, whatever."

Only after a cold shower did Valkron truly wake up, however. Emeth watched him as he moved around the room in nothing except a pair of long brown trousers, towelling dry his hair and his body.

"You're really having a day off, Emeth?" he said, rubbing his hair vigorously.

"Yes, thank god."

"How was yesterday?"

Emeth rolled his eyes. "Don't even talk to me about it."

"What, the students threw things at you? Or made fun of you?"

"Worse."

"Let me guess." Valkron leaned against the table and draped the towel around his neck. "They didn't listen to you and caused havoc throughout your lessons?"

"Worse."

"They weren't in the classroom? It can't be _that_ bad, can it?"

"They worshipped me. _Worshipped_, Valkron. Think about a couple of a dozen students, half of which are girls, crowding around me and asking me how I managed to dispel the portal." Emeth sounded so disgusted Valkron didn't even dare interrupt. "The girls always make puppy eyes at me, but yesterday was a total nightmare. And the boys wanted to hold a competition and try to beat me down! I had to throw them off me as I entered the classroom!"

"Sounds like wizard hell."

"You bet it is!" Emeth was so disgusted he hadn't even realised what Valkron had meant by that. The statement had registered in his mind several days later, and by then he was in no position to counter Valkron. "And that was for every class I entered! Why did we have to go through this?"

"For the sake of being the heroes people have always wanted," said Valkron, shrugging.

"But we're not heroes!"

"It's what the people want, Emeth. You can't blame them. They've not had heroes for so long now."

"Someone doing some good doesn't necessarily mean the people have to hype it all up and think he's saved the world!"

"Uh...Emeth, if I recall correctly we did, in a sense, save the world," ventured Valkron.

"We weren't even intending to do that," replied the wizard. "All we wanted to do was get the job done and go home. Heroes don't save worlds, they just go about waving their swords and acting big."

Valkron sighed. "I understand how you feel, Emeth. Thousands of people out there - well, actually the major part of the world - assume that knights are the saviours of the world, the guardians of the kingdom, the defenders of the people. Yesterday I met a knight who does a desk job in the Information Department. He's a supervisor. For what? Making sure the carnivals in Prontera run well, for advertising this city and for dealing with plumbing, amongst other things. We're all hyped up as well, and sometimes I wish knights wouldn't try to make us look as if we are."

"Would that be Enriel, by any chance?" asked the wizard, looking up at Valkron.

"Yes. How'd you know?"

"Well, he _is_ famous as the only blue-haired knight in the Chivalry."

"See? We who truly know what the meaning of 'fight' is don't care about what we've done. We only remember each other by how we look like and why we're unique. It's the ignorant who have the best lives, really."

"Not really. I still wonder why you're not telling us about those nightmares you keep having."

Valkron stopped in the middle of getting off the table he was leaning. His throat seemed to have constricted.

"I had...a nightmare again?" he managed to say.

"Yeah, it was..." There was no word in Runic that had the meaning 'freaky' but if there had been Emeth would have greatly welcomed its use. "...strange. If I hadn't known you were having a nightmare I would have run for Samaroh already."

"And...?"

"You were muttering in your sleep. I think that's what woke me up."

"What about?"

Emeth scratched his head. "Well, half the time I couldn't hear you, but you shouted once, 'He didn't remove the curse completely!' And then some time later - I'm taking a guess at half an hour - you kept talking about someone trying to get you killed. Something about your past."

"Oh, boy," said Valkron, burying his face in his hands.

"Most of the time you just stiffen and your breathing becomes shallower and faster, but this is the first time you talk in your sleep. And I'm saying this as someone who almost always shares a room with you." Emeth gave him a worried look. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Argath must have left some kind of impression on me, thought Valkron. I still act all big and tough, but deep inside there's that ghastly darkness that I can never get rid of. And another thing as well...

He did not think about it, however. Even thinking about it would get him upset, and he disliked being upset. It was worse than him being angry.

"Maybe I should swap places with Iruna," said Emeth, still watching him carefully. "You need her, mate. Honestly."

Valkron looked at Emeth. The wizard's face was deadly serious. And the knight was sure, if he took a closer look into his golden eyes, he could see a hint of fear. A hint of fear at what Valkron could be capable of...

"No, it's not necessary." Valkron shook his head. "I'll be damned if I can't fight down my own fears. I'll have to...put up with it."

"Really?" asked Emeth.

"Yeah. I don't have a choice, do I?"

"I won't run if anything happens to you," said the wizard. "Even if you go mad and foam at the mouth. I won't let you fall prey to that."

Valkron had been in the process of getting off the table behind him, but when he heard those words he stopped. He looked at Emeth, into the golden eyes that looked so serious and with its hint of fear.

Only three and a half months, and already Emeth was ready to take on anything that came his way from Valkron.

Suddenly Valkron's foot slipped and headed up and away without any warning. The fall shook every bone in his body and emptied him of air.

"Valkron!"

"Hang on, hang on, I'm okay..." The knight groaned involuntarily as he struggled to get up. "Just shocked, that's all..."

"Here, let me help you up--"

Valkron felt the leather of Emeth's gloves on his bare back as the wizard helped him to sit up. His head was still spinning.

"Must've been leaning against the table too hard. It slipped backwards," said Emeth, glancing at the offending piece of furniture. "Here, get your breath back--"

"Am I interrupting something?"

Valkron leaned forwards, past Emeth's back, to see Iruna standing in the doorway. She was fully clothed and armoured, but her blindfold was around her neck again.

"Um...no, you aren't," he said.

"He fell, that's all," said Emeth. "Nothing to worry about."

"Oh. I thought I felt the ground shake under my feet for a second there." The crusader seemed uncertain, which was certainly worrying. Valkron had never seen her so concerned before. It was what made her...well, her, really. Iruna was so solid in her beliefs you could anchor a ship with her in any storm.

"Are you all right?" he asked. She was his girlfri-- _lover_, and he cared for her too.

A calm voice, with a hint of a snigger, spoke in his mind. _Adamant on not using the word girlfriend, eh?_

_Shut up, you_, thought Valkron angrily at it. The last thing he wanted was for his inner self to get involved. True, his inner self could get him out of tight situations, but it had no emotions. It was the part of him that wasn't human.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Iruna ran a hand through her hair. "I'll see you, I have to go and talk to the crusaders in charge, up in Juno. I'll see you later, Valkron."

The crusader disappeared. Emeth got to his feet and held out a hand to Valkron, who was still sitting on the floor and gazing at where Iruna had just stood. "Come on. Can't have you sitting around all day long."

The wizard lounged around the room in silence until Valkron had at least got a shirt on. Then, as the knight continued to dry his hair. Emeth said, "So what are you doing about the guild?"

"I'm thinking up of an emblem," replied Valkron gazing at the wall oppposite him as he dried his hair. "Something that fits the name of this guild."

"Yeah, what _does_ fit the Raulus?" said Emeth. "I mean, all the other guilds have names you can put emblems next to. Like the Black Cross and the Exodus Faction."

"The Black Cross is just the Black Cross," retorted the knight. "All you do is just draw a damn black cross. I was looking for something more creative. As for the Exodus Faction, they got around it by putting an E and an F intertwined on their flag."

"Why can't we do that?"

"What's so impressive about the letter R?"

"Well, if we wrote it cool enough--"

"I am _not_ having any of that cool stuff rubbish," said Valkron firmly. "This guild has a purpose - or will have - and I intend to keep it that way."

"You're not helping matters much, are you?

"Emeth, as second-in-command I expect you to be more serious about this."

There was a clatter. Valkron waited until the wizard got off the floor and set the chair he had been sitting on back onto its legs.

"You never told me you put my position in the guild as second-in-command!" said Emeth, half in shock as he massaged his back gingerly.

"Well, it stands to reason."

"What reason?"

Here Valkron was stuck. _Why_ did he put Emeth's name down in the first place? He could have just gone on ahead and put down Iruna's name.

_Remember._

The voice in his head was somewhat subdued, but it echoed in his ears. He remembered.

"For...our guild's future."

"Would it help?"

"How am I supposed to know? I can't predict the future!" snapped the knight. "Once and for all stop fooling around and let me think! And help me about it! We haven't got all the time in the world to do this."

"But what do you want to know, first of all?" said Emeth.

"I don't know anything about a guild! Trust me," he added, seeing the look on Emeth's face, "other than the Guild Approval stamp we need from the Guild Liaison Office in Al de Baran I have no idea what else to do."

"Why don't you go and ask Sagna, then? Isn't he part of the Odyssey?"

* * *

Sagna looked up from his paperwork. "Can't help you there, sir."

"What do you mean, can't help you there?"

"I thought you memorised the Laws and Ordinances of Prontera?"

"Sagna," said Valkron a little severely, "I can't memorise ten three inch thick books within my lifetime."

"Really? Oh." The knight went back to his work.

"Sagna, please. I seriously need to know."

"The Guild Liaison Office can surely help you there, sir."

"What? They'll laugh at me for not knowing anything!"

"Better to be a sheep for a day than for your lifetime, sir."

Valkron glared at him. "Who told you that?"

The younger knight shrugged. "My tutor."

Valkron opened his mouth. Emeth clapped a hand over it. "Thanks very much, Sagna, you've been very helpful." Then he promptly dragged the knight commander out of the room, leaving Sagna to stare after them.

After they were a few corridors away from the room Emeth let Valkron go, and just as well. The knight already looked like he wanted to eat someone, and not without good reason.

"What the _hell_ are you trying with me, Emeth?" said the knight angrily. "What kind of tutor told him that? I'm going to give him what for!"

"It's true, though," said Emeth.

Valkron felt the glare he was giving fade away. His shoulders sagged. "Okay, okay, fine, I admit I overreacted. But frankly...not obeying your senior is just...just..."

"Unbelievable," said Emeth, nodding in agreement. "I know. I get that kind of treatment sometimes."

"It must be something about that stupid mercenary law I know by heart," said Valkron wearily. "I hate being a King's mercenary. We have to obey so many stupid laws."

"Laws that prevent people from dying."

"Sometimes a lot of buggers just don't listen to them. I wish I didn't need to, either."

"Yeah, but it would override your purpose."

"Did it ever cross your mind that I already knew that?"

"Uh...yes."

"Then stop stating the obvious." Valkron sighed. "Looks like I've got to do it the hard way."

"We could ask the others later on," said Emeth. "They might have some connections. Come on, why don't we just get back to the inn to start with? It might give you a break."

They walked down the massive corridors of the Prontera Chivalry, discussing guilds and recent War of Emperium news ("What? The Gilters have better economy than the Defenders of Juno? But they're just archers!") when they looked up at the sound of footsteps.

It was a knight.

Well, that wasn't surprising, considering that they _were_ walking down the corridors of the Chivalry.

It was just that this particular knight had an armband around his right upper arm. Emeth didn't know what it was, but Valkron did. That was why, when the knight passed, Valkron inclined his head and did not lift his head up until the knight was out of sight.

"Who was that?" said Emeth, looking over his shoulder. "Don't tell me he's your superior. You're one of the highest ranking mercenary knights in your division."

Valkron gave him an irritable look, but said nothing until they had stepped out of the gates.

"What colour was his armband, Emeth?" said Valkron.

"What?"

"Don't make me repeat the question."

"Err...white."

"Exactly. Show some respect for a knight with a white armband."

"Still..."

"Don't 'still' me, Emeth. A knight with a white armband is in mourning."

* * *

By evening neither of them had come with an idea for their guild emblem. Iruna found them around their reserved table in the tavern, staring at the wood.

"Hello? What's going on here? A detailed study of wood grain?" She bent over the table. "What's with the piece of paper and the impressively messy handwriting? _Whose_ handwriting is it, anyway?"

"Mine," said Valkron shortly.

"You write like _that_? Good grief, you must make your superiors suffer with that when you submit reports--"

"This is my scribbling! I write better when I'm serious!"

"Iruna, please," said Emeth.

"Just tell me what this is all about. I might be able to help."

Valkron and Emeth exchanged looks. Then the knight said, "We're trying to think of a guild emblem that represents us - or the Raulus, really."

"What about the letter--"

"_Iruna_."

"Okay, okay." The crusader sat down and thought for a few minutes before she said, "Well, how about a phoenix? That's a good symbol, and no one's registered any other phoenix emblem."

"Why phoenix?"

"It represents rebirth. A new beginning, they say."

Valkron considered this. "Hm...you might have an idea there."

"Well, it's a good idea,' said Emeth, "but how would it look like? Like this?" He took the paper and drew swiftly without even lifting the quill. "Or this?"

They bent over the sketch.

"I never knew you were good at drawing," said Iruna.

"That's secondary to magic. Shut up about the quality, will you? It's just a damn sketch."

After a few minutes, Valkron said, "I prefer the phoenix rampant."

"What?" said Iruna and Emeth.

"It means rearing. It's heraldry."

They looked back down at the paper.

"In red?" asked Iruna, looking up at Valkron.

"Looks like it. A blue or green phoenix would look sick."

"What about white? White looks good--"

"NO!"

Emeth stared. Iruna stared.

Valkron coughed. "Sorry. I'm a bit...tetchy right now. Look, isn't it agreed that we'll have it red? Besides, that's a phoneix's natural colour. Iruna, _how_ did you know there wasn't any phoenix emblem registered with the Guild Liaison Office?"

"Because I went there after talking to the crusaders in Juno and had a look through their files. Did you know that quite alot of guilds have extensions, by the way? I didn't know they had so many members!"

"Exactly why we need to get a little more famous," said Valkron. "What else did you find there?"

"Uh...I didn't go farther than guild emblems, actually." Iruna paused. "Why don't you go up to Al de Baran and see it for yourself?"

"Because I hate talking to the Guild Liaison Office. When I went to register our guild they said, 'Ooh, another War of Emperium master in the making or just the King's pet?' Everything they do is mocking us. I felt like strangling them and believe me - that's not something you want to do."

"If you did, Valkron, I never want to be associated with you again," said the crusader, giving him a look.

"_Ahem_," said Emeth, looking between them. "We are not here to argue about the Guild Liaison Office, no matter how...how..._great_ they are. Is this agreed or not?"

"What are you all doing?" asked someone.

The three of them turned to see Eni blinking at them. Behind her Nocturne yawned sleepily.

"We're designing a guild emblem," said Iruna. "Why?"

"Because you guys are making a heck load of noise with your discussion about the GLO," said Eni. "Coincidentally we have two of their officers from there."

"I don't give a damn," said Valkron shortly. "Nocturne, why are you always yawning day after day?"

"I'm normally out to Payon by 4 in the morning, if you didn't notice," said the hunter sleepily. "Stupid patrolling of the forest...got assigned to it."

"Why? I thought the Hunters' Guild would let you."

"No, they said our guild isn't big enough to be allowed off." Nocturne ended this statement with another huge yawn.

Valkron sighed and buried his face in his hands. Iruna said quickly, "We seriously need to resolve this problem once and for all."

"That's the thing," said Eni as her brother leaned against the wall behind. "No one wants to join. We're not big enough."

"Valkron?" said Samaroh's voice from behind the screen that separated them from the rest of the tavern.

"Go and see what he wants," the knight said tiredly. "I don't want to get up from this chair."

But no one needed to. At that very moment Khan poked his head around the screen. "Valkron? Samaroh wants to see you."

"Look, I _know_. Think I'm all blind and deaf and stupid? I just don't want to get up."

"You'll have to get up for this one, Valkron." Khan shrugged. "I don't know, but a guild where the guild leader actually greets his new members in person would break the tradition. The other guilds have agents."

Valkron looked up. "New...members?"

"Should be new member, really. Just one."

The knight got up from his seat. "At this stage even one would give me some relief. Emeth, you're coming too."

"Why?"

"Because you're second-in-command, that's why. Don't give me that look again, I've already put your name down and I'm not removing the rank. Or you. Come on."

Valkron walked out from behind the screen...and stopped short. He stared

"I don't know who in their right mind would join our guild," muttered Emeth, emerging from behind it. "He's got to be pretty dumb, for one--"

Valkron elbowed him in the ribs to shut him up. He did so.

Beside the blonde, green eyed priest stood another blonde, green eyed person. But it was a hunter.

And it was a woman.


	3. A Day in the Life of a Knight

Chapter 3

**A Day in the Life of a Knight**

Valkron stared at the newcomer. She was quite tall for a woman - almost up to Emeth's shoulder. This was impressive. Her hair stopped short at the base of her neck, with its fringe neatly tucked away with a plain hairband. Valkron noticed that she seemed quite alert. He knew there was no such thing as underestimating this woman.

"Hello, Valkron. Hope you had a good day," said Samaroh.

"Well, I think it just became a good day," answered the knight. "No, really - who is she?"

"Kushana," said the priest. "She's my older sister."

Ah. That explained the blonde hair and grass green eyes. Valkron looked between them, and realised that Kushana had the same sort of face as Samaroh - slightly sharp at the chin, high nose - and the only difference was that she was definitely more feminine.

"Pleased to meet you," she said, in the same accented voice as Samaroh. Valkron took her proffered hand and shook it.

"By any chance, Samaroh," he said, looking at the priest, "are you from Juno?"

"Yes, how'd you know?"

"I've been hearing this accent a lot recently," said the knight, "and someone told me by listening to the way people speak you can tell which part of the kingdom they're from. Oh, where's my manners - I'm Valkron."

"Yes, I've heard of you," said the huntress, nodding. "Lots of people talk about you. And you're the guild leader of the Raulus?"

"Yes." Valkron hesitated, and then plunged on. "You don't mind joining a small guild?"

"As long as it has a purpose, as long as it serves the people, I don't mind."

"Then why didn't you join the others?"

Kushana laughed. "The big guilds don't have anything in mind except to make money and be famous. There's nothing in it for me." She looked up. "And who's that standing beside you? Why is he staring at me like that?"

Valkron turned. Emeth was standing next to him, and yes indeed, he was staring like he had never seen a woman before, let alone a huntress.

The knight sighed, shaking his head in exasperation, and then elbowed Emeth in the stomach. Samaroh and Kushana winced as the wizard doubled over.

"He's the, er, second-in-command in the guild and our resident wizard, Emeth," he said. "And now he's not staring at you."

Kushana gave the wizard a long look and then said, "Yes, I'm sure he'll probably stay the resident wizard."

Samaroh cleared his throat. "Um...I think we should go and meet the others now. Are they busy?"

"Apart from trying not to fall asleep, you mean? No."

"Okay, I'll introduce her to them."

The two of them disappeared behind the screen. Valkron turned to Emeth, who was still wheezing.

"What in the world are you doing, Emeth?" he said. "Do you want us to get a name for having the weirdest wizard in the kigndom? Get a grip on yourself and try to act as a member of the guild."

"Whatever was that for?" gasped Emeth.

"For staring at her like a goldfish! Look, Emeth, you're impressive. You are six feet tall and people think you're the guild leader, not me. So stop acting like an idiot and play your part. This is me asking you as your guild leader, not your friend. I hope you can see the difference."

"Yeah, I do, but...but..."

"But what?"

Valkron watched Emeth for a while. Then he put a hand to his head.

"You know, I don't know how you've survived all this while,' he said. "Socially. Spill it."

"Spill what?"

"Spill whatever's making you blush right now."

Emeth turned, if possible, even redder. "I...well...I..."

"Emeth," said Valkron dangerously.

"I can't say it here! They're right behind us!"

Valkron grabbed the wizard and yanked him over to a much noisier part of the tavern. "Okay, _now_ spill it."

"I...oh, please, don't make me do this..."

"Fine. Shall I say what I decided from your face?"

"No! No. Okay. Okay." Emeth took a deep breath. "Look, I...I've never seen someone like that before. She's so...so pretty, so..._different_ from the girls I've met in my life. It isn't just her looks. I just _know_ it."

"Know what? That she'll like you because you like her?"

Emeth winced. Valkron had shot the bolt home.

"Maybe this isn't the right time to start..." he muttered.

The knight gave him a stare that was far too long to be comfortable. Then he said, "Okay. I see. I'll keep it a secret, okay? This is just between us."

"You'll keep it a secret?"

"Do you think I get a kick out of telling on people? No. I don't. I may be sarcastic, pessimistic and socially inept but I have more moral fibre than a rat. And that's saying something." Valkron leaned back. "But you better be sure what you're doing is right. Those slim legs of hers hide strong muscles. I bet she can break a man's jaw with one kick. And I'm sure that's not the only thing she can do, being a huntress."

"I...don't like her."

"What?"

Emeth was looking away. Somehow, even though Valkron could tell he was embarrassed about this, he could also detect a little sadness, a little shame, behind the wizard's usual demeanour.

"What is it?" asked Valkron, lowering his voice.

"I..." The wizard swallowed, still not looking at Emeth. "I love her."

Oh, god. A wizard in love.

Valkron was now wishing they were on the roof of the inn so that he could throw himself off it. He put a hand on Emeth's shoulder. "Okay. Get a grip on yourself. You love her. Fine. It's a good thing. Just don't act like an idiot and you might get a pot shot of asking her out. How's that sound?"

"Valkron, I'm not trying to kid you about," said Emeth, turning to stare steadily into the knight's eyes.

"I'm not either," replied Valkron, staring back.

They gazed at each other for some time. Then the knight shrugged. "But it's not my business to tell you what to do. All I'm going to do is just keep it a secret. And the only advice I can tell you, if you really do wish to court her, is: be honest. Don't be outright. And just be yourself. There is nothing worse than someone acting like a drunk to impress a woman except one thing."

"What is it?"

"A wizard acting like a drunk to impress a woman."

"Right."

"I'm being serious here--"

"Yes, yes, I know, you're being serious." Emeth ran a hand through his hair. "I just...didn't know how it felt like to love."

Valkron reminded himself he was talking to someone who had been orphaned, just like himself. And was less socially inept, unlike himself. There was no reason why he shouldn't give a few allowances.

"Well, congratulations then," he said, desperate to get the conversation over with. "Now, can we go back to the table and resume discussion?"

"Well, other than the guild flag we haven't an idea about what to do with a guild," said Emeth. "What _do_ you do with a guild, other than having a go at a larger version of a pub brawl?"

"I don't have any ideas at all, either." The knight sighed. "It looks like I'll have to get to the Guild Liaison Office after all. But someone will have to come along with me. I don't know what I'm capable of alone."

They returned to the table. Iruna gave them a look, but she said nothing. She had taken off her blindfold again.

Kushana turned as they came. "This is a very pleasant guild," she said. "Everyone here seems so friendly. I'm amazed that you all know each other so well."

"Have you ever been in a guild before?" asked Valkron, while Emeth tried to edge away from the huntress without being too obvious.

"Yes, I have."

"Really? Which one?" said Eni, looking up from stroking her pet lunatic.

"Oh, it was a long time ago. It was an extension of the Hunters' Guild actually, but by and by it began to break down and we all left." Kushana sighed. "There was nothing to look forward to there. The guild was far too big to get to know anyone properly."

"It's not like guilds have certain guild-member only nights where they pass around the trays of cocktails and share personal stories," said Valkron. "If there was a guild that did do that, I'd just...well, I'd just go spare."

"Yeah, I think you would," said Iruna darkly.

"That would be downright strange," agreed Kushana.

Everyone stopped talking at this and stared at her. She looked back innocently. "What?"

"It's like a guild that breaks tradition is what you're looking for, but...that statement just contradicted it," said Eni.

"Oh. No, that statement has its limits."

As they talked Valkron leaned across the table towards Samaroh. "You said that your family never paid attention towards you...?"

The priest stared at him. It was hard to tell what he was thinking from his face. Then he said, "Yeah."

"So how did your older sister actually agree to join us? With you in it?"

Samaroh stared at him a little longer. Then he said, "That's none of your business."

Valkron withdrew. He was not the kind of person to press matters, especially not when the person being pressed had gone, within thirty seconds, from normal to stiffly cold.

"Right, guys," he said, cutting through the talking. "That's enough intellectual argument for today. Let's get back down to this job. Please?"

It was agreed, after a while, that their symbol would be a phoenix. It was more like the silhouette of the phoenix, with a halo around its head, its wings spread and its long tail feathers arranged under the great picture. The whole thing was flaming red and orange.

"You've got a good talent with art, I grant you that," said Iruna, observing the new emblem. "And I'm not being sarcastic with you."

"Yeah, whatever." Emeth didn't look too proud of it. Valkron nudged Iruna slightly and she took the message.

"So what else do we do now?" asked Eni.

Valkron leaned back and took one look at the entire table. Then he said, "Get to bed."

"What? But we've only been here for three hours--"

"Look at your kid brother. He's gone to sleep against the wall, standing up. Khan's looking not too good either - well an assassin who needs a blacksmith to help him keep standing would definitely not be good. I know some of us haven't done much today, while the others have," the knight raised his voice over the singing in the tavern, "but frankly we should all get some rest. Is that okay?"

"What?"

"I said, is that okay?" Valkron was shouting now.

"Yeah, I think it should!" shouted back Samaroh over the noise. "We've got drunks in here, best to get everyone out!"

"WHAT?"

"I SAID, BEST TO GET EVERYONE OUT!"

With much shouting over the singing, the guild hurried out of the tavern. Only when they reached the first floor was the singing at least somewhat muted.

"What day is it today?" Valkron asked Emeth.

"End of the week."

"That explains it."

Iruna turned to the huntress. "I think we'll have to share rooms for the night, Kushana. I'll sleep on the floor and you can take my bed--"

"I don't mind sleeping on the floor," replied Kushana. "I've had a rough time with the Hunters' Guild's expeditions. You won't believe what I've slept in."

"Now would not be a good time to relate them," said Samaroh.

"Oh, shush you."

"Are you sure?" asked Iruna.

"Yes." Kushana looked around. "Who do you share your room with?"

"Me?" said Eni, from the back.

Iruna nodded. "She's okay. No snoring comes from her. Just don't scream if you find a ball of white fluff sitting on your face the next morning, okay? Fluffball gets everywhere."

"Fluff...ball?" Kushana had a look on her face even Valkron knew.

"Don't say anything about it," warned the crusader.

Kushana got the hint. She cleared her throat slightly and then said, "So I'm sleeping on the floor?"

"No, you're in my bed."

"But what about you?"

"If I recall correctly," said Iruna, "Valkron here actually shares a large room with Emeth. Coincidentally he takes up the only double bed we have between us. Emeth sleeps on a single bed, which is probably a big relief to the maids here."

"Oh, haha, very funny. I can't help sleeping messily, okay?" said Emeth, scratching the back of his head.

"Just like a typical man, are you?" Iruna smirked a little at Emeth's expression before turning to Valkron, who had unfocused and was now gazing down the corridor.

"Valkron, I'd like to share your bed."

"Hm? Okay."

"Well, that's settled then," said Iruna, turning around to face Kushana. "Don't you think so?" Behind her there was a growing look of horror on the knight's face as what he had agreed to finally dawned on him.

"Er...I guess," said the huntress, glancing at Valkron apprehensively.

"Wait...I said yes?" Valkron asked, staring at Iruna.

"Actually you said, 'Okay.'"

"What? I - no, it's not okay! I can't just share my bed with a _woman_! We're not married or anything, you can't just sleep with me!"

Everyone was staring at the knight by now, who looked as if he was going to crack any moment. Iruna patted him on the shoulder comfortingly.

"If it helps, I'll keep my clothes on and you keep yours," she said cheerfully.

Valkron gaped at her as she led the bewildered Kushana away. Behind him Emeth was sniggering, but he stopped the moment the knight turned his gaze onto him.

"One more time, Emeth," he said, "and the secret's going out. Just you wait."

* * *

Valkron admitted that he had been fine until Iruna breezed into the room, ready for bed in her blue blouse and trousers. The knight had already closed his eyes when the bed shook.

"Move up."

Valkron shot up like a spring. "_Iruna!_ I said no!"

"You agreed to it."

"I wasn't conscious of it then! You can't consider that one answer!"

Iruna gave him a look. Emeth was watching interestedly from his bed.

"We don't have a choice, Valkron," she said.

"I can just sleep on the floor. Is that fine with you?"

"No, you're staying. If anyone has to sleep on the floor this problem wouldn't have arisen as I would have done so."

"Why didn't you?"

"Because Kushana wouldn't accept it. She's the newcomer, so she thinks that she shouldn't burden us. That's what I'd do."

Valkron groaned. "I'm not even--"

"Look, this is just for one night. Anyway, I can to one side and you can keep to the other. Is that fine with you? There'll be absolutely no contact made."

The knight opened his mouth. He shut his mouth. He opened it again to say, "And we'll keep to the sides of the bed for the rest of the night?"

"If you're that enthusiastic about not accidentally rolling on top of one another," said Emeth from his bed, "then your body will probably obey that thought for the whole night. It happens."

"Why are _you_ even involved in this anyway?" snapped Valkron.

"Because if you two keep bickering like this I'm never going to get any sleep, and I have to go to the Magic Academy tomorrow," came the reply.

Valkron muttered something about people being stupid. Iruna patted him on the shoulder and lay down. After a while Valkron did too, and turned out the flame in the lamp on the table next to him.

As the night wore on Valkron began to realise it was getting somewhat cold. However, he wasn't surprised - sometimes summer in Rune-Midgard could get horribly erratic at times. He'd been in a situation where it had hailed once, right in the middle of summer.

He pulled up his blanket and closed his eyes. He had to do some training the next day, in the Chivalry. Most knights found him impressive, with his experience and his skills, but he didn't think so. It was all just luck.

He needed to train more, obviously enough. These days he just didn't seem to be strong enough to wield his weapons...

Just as he drifted off into a state between sleep and consciousness something warm went over his waist.

Valkron would have leapt out of bed had he not remembered his head in time. After the initial shock had faded he carefully turned over to see Iruna several inches from his back. She was already fast asleep, and one arm was over his waist.

The knight tried to push it off, but for some odd reason he found it too heavy. He gave up eventually and lay back down. Some things just couldn't be avoided.

* * *

Valkron opened his eyes sleepily. The sky outside was still pretty dark, but there was a hint of light to it. He immediately knew it was early morning. For him it meant getting up.

He got up - or tried to. Then he remembered what had happened the night before and twisted around to look over his shoulder.

Iruna had eventually buried her nose in his back. It was probably the reason why Valkron was almost dropping off the edge of his bed - he must have unconsciously moved towards the edge in a desperate bid to get away from her. Iruna in her sleep must have taken this as the cue to move in.

The knight sighed and wriggled out of her grasp. Once he was out he considered his next plan of action so that she would not wake up. He slithered - there was no other word for it - out of the blankets and got out of bed as quickly and quietly as possible.

After that it was simple. Valkron knew that knights could be silent whenever they wanted to be; it was just their armour that was a pain in the a-- neck. Anyone who thought that knights were noisy as they were arrogant would have been surprised at the stealth with which Valkron moved around the room. If he had not been dressed in his armour they would have assumed he was a well-trained assassin.

He took a cold shower, dried his hair and got about to putting on his armour, trying to make the least noise possible as he strapped them on. From time to time Iruna would turn over in bed and there would be an occasional grunt from the other side of the room where Emeth lay, but nothing else happened.

Valkron fitted on his visor firmly. He looked around the dimly lit room. The sun would be rising in one hour, and then the others would wake. But for now he was all alone.

The knight made his way over to his bed, carrying his metal shoes. He himself was walking with just his socks on. They were thick due to the numerous darnings over the years. Valkron considered a man who was unable to darn his own socks a dependent, wimpy idiot.

The crusader was breathing deeply in her sleep. Valkron looked at her, at her peaceful face and the blue hair falling over her face. The blankets rose and fell gently as she breathed.

In the hush Valkron leaned forward and brushed her hair away from her face. He bent down and kissed her on the cheek, and then quickly walked out of the room.

The Prontera Chivalry was still asleep when he arrived, but he wasted no time in entering and registering himself at the front desk. The girl in charge ticked his name on the list and wrote down the time he had entered.

"You've got a lot of work to do," she said, scribbling down the time. "A lot of the higher ups gave me a lot of messages."

"Got them written down somewhere?" asked Valkron. He knew the process.

"I put them outside your office."

The knight left and walked through the corridors of the Chivalry, his shoes making small clinking sounds against the stone floor, and duly arrived at his office. It was quite near the entrance to the Military Division. Valkron had chosen it because he was always assigned to keep an eye on the main hall of the division. Apart from frantic knights running about trying to get things done before their given deadlines, Valkron had seen quite a lot, of which he was unlikely to forget in a hurry. It not only included mobs of people with pitchforks but screaming fangirls as well.

Yes, there was a lot more to being a knight, thought Valkron, as he stopped outside his office door.

There was a pile of paper outside his door. He sighed and pulled out keys from a pocket under his chain mail. Selecting one on the keyring, he unlocked the door, shoved it open with his foot and heaved up the pile of paper.

He worked on the papers for almost the whole morning. Administration work in the Chivalry consisted largely of reading and answering letters, viewing memos from other departments, signing off dockets and counting up expenses incurred by the department. Valkron, being one of the higher knights, was saddled with the responsibility of seeing that these were done, and so he did them. Besides, The Chivalry was lousy at employing proper accountants, and Valkron had at least a sufficient education to satisfy that responsibility.

He was calculating how much feed the pecos of the Military Division needed when there was a knock on the door.

"Come in," said Valkron, not looking up.

The door opened. The door shut.

The knight scribbled down the numbers before looking up into the face of a knight he had seen the day before. The face of the knight wearing the white armband.

It was still there, today.

"What can I do for you, Inigo?" said Valkron.

The knight in question had messy green hair - messier than Emeth's when he had just woken up, thought Valkron. He had a thin, pale face and looked as if he had found something distasteful on the senior knight's desk. Valkron found himself glancing down at it to make sure there really was nothing disgusting on his table.

"I prefer corporal, sir," answered Inigo stiffly.

"Ah, yes, I apologize." Valkron moved aside a petition for more funeral leave in the Chivalry. "Do sit, corporal."

The knight remained standing, staring at Valkron. The senior knight wished he wouldn't - Inigo's pale violet eyes had a watery look about them, and Valkron had an urge to wipe his own eyes out of pity.

"I'd like a training session with you, sir," he said.

Valkron's face went blank. It was very well if a senior knight chose to teach a rookie, but for a student to ask it was a bit unnerving. Especially in this situation.

"I'm afraid I'll have to refuse," he said.

"I want to train with you, sir."

"I'm sure I said something on the lines of 'No, that won't be happening'," said the knight commander, raising an eyebrow.

"Why, sir? You trained Sagna a few days ago."

"Sagna used to be under me, corporal," answered Valkron. "I only teach students who are or were under me, being that I know the student's weaknesses and they know what I am capable of doing."

"Are you capable of killing someone, sir?"

"Why do you ask?" said Valkron, keeping his face carefully blank.

"It's just something I want to know."

Valkron leaned back in his chair. "If the circumstances force me to then I have no choice in doing so. Unfortunately, corporal, I dislike killing or the shedding of blood and thus avoid it as much as possible. Does this satisfy your question?"

Inigo focused on Valkron, blinking slowly. "Then your students won't want to fight you properly, since you are indeed capable of killing people. But I will fight you willingly, sir."

Valkron sighed and shook his head. "Corporal, you may have been looking forward to a training session with me but I wish not to fight now. Besides, I am busy. I do hope you can see that from where you're standing."

Inigo's pale eyes moved from the pile of paper standing on the right side of Valkron to the left. The one on the right-hand side was still taller than the one on the left, even though Valkron had been working for a good part of the morning without a break.

"I see," he said. "Then I will withdraw. Good day, sir."

Valkron watched him leave, shutting the door behind him. He looked down at the petition.

After a minute or so he picked the paper up and tore it into half before crushing it up into a ball and throwing it over his shoulder.

* * *

Valkron spent his day working around the Chivalry. The large number of mercenary knights involved in the War of Emperium had left the place understaffed, and so knights were forced to work double shifts and across departments. By midday he was hungry, and with a good reason.

He got himself a quick lunch at one of the nearby restaurants who had found the hungry knights to be a profitable source of income before returning to work.

"Commander, you've got a request from the supervisor of the Information Department," said the girl at the desk, as he passed by.

"What division?"

"City, sir."

"Ah, that'll be Enriel. Thanks."

He made his way out of the Chivalry and to one of its extensions. Over the years the body had grown so large that its grounds needed to be expanded; fortunately the royal family supported the Chivalry with great zeal and provided land generously for the Chivalry's extensions.

The Information Department, City Division, was one of them. It was also the only one that Valkron did not call an add-on, since it actually had a purpose and was not there just to make the place look good.

As he made his way through the building, he reflected on the assumption that knights were valiant, arrogant heroes that trained every day. If anyone could see what he was seeing now they'd probably have a fit.

He met Enriel as he left the main hall for the offices. Enriel was, yes, the only blue-haired knight in the whole of the Chivalry - and, in Valkron's personal opinion, one of the very few knights actually worthy of something, even though he was just a supervisor.

"So what's it about?" he said to the blue-haired knight.

"Hmm? Oh. We've been having this rogue problem out in the city streets. Security's been a bit lax these days, and people keep getting mugged in the alleyways. Are there enough people in your division who can help us? We're understaffed as it is."

Valkron took one look at the knight and felt sorry for him. "No, sadly enough. We're pretty much understaffed, too. Ever heard of triple shifts?"

"No, why?"

"I'll bet they'll come into existence soon." Valkron looked at the bustling crowd that was the Information Department. "Well, we'll see about it. Did you try anything?"

Enriel gave him a look. "I've actually sent Saladin over to have a word with them."

Valkron put a hand over his eyes. "Oh, no..."

"Well, it worked for a short while. After all, he's a knight who acts just like them. Give credit where it's due." Enriel smiled dryly. "Thanks anyway, Valkron. Just a reminder, though. If you think you can help go right ahead."

"Any time, Enriel." Valkron watched the knight walk off towards another knight with red hair and smoking like a chimney.

_This is going to be a long day_, he thought.

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Got carried away with this chapter. /swt


	4. Just Human

Chapter 4

**Just Human**

Iruna sipped her apple juice and leaned back in her chair. She had just returned from Juno. Although her induction would not be that early she still had to prepare for it. This was her chance of clearing her name.

Out of all the others in the guild she and Kushana were the ones sitting at their table. The rest were out. If she remembered correctly, Samaroh was out training at the monastery, Nocturne patrolling the forests of Payon, Eni working on an experiment in Al de Baran, Khan on assignments in Morroc, Amaru repairing weapons outside the Battle Arena in Izlude, Emeth teaching in Geffen and Valkron doing whatever he did in the Chivalry.

"Is everyone this busy?" asked the huntress, idly twiddling the cocktail umbrella in her glass.

"Oh, yes. It's where we earn our money."

"A bunch of mercenaries? Doing administration work for money?"

Iruna shrugged. "What else can we do when we're not being mercenaries? We've got to have some money at our hands other than selling loot and getting hired by rich people. Besides, these days with the big guilds around no one needs to hire mercenaries anymore...unless they want a guild leader dead."

"That's true," admitted Kushana.

Iruna took stock of the huntress. She was beginning to like the blonde girl. Kushana had a very pleasant air about her as well as being quite amiable and easily satisfied. Like Emeth she did not look very old - maybe in her late twenties or so.

"Our guild leader seems to be very...sarcastic when he wants to," she said.

"Oh, you can bet he does." Iruna stirred her drink with her straw. "We've all met his scathing remarks sooner or later. Don't worry, though - he doesn't mean what he says. He's always like that."

Kushana took a sip from her glass. "Was it okay, sleeping with him? I hope he didn't try to do anything to you."

"Valkron wouldn't do that," said Iruna, her voice softening. "He may be stubborn, detached and sometimes an idiot, but he'll never mistreat a woman unless she forces him too."

The huntress looked up. "Is it me or are you...lovers?"

The crusader smiled. "You're right. Although sometimes I'd like it if he admits it in public a little more, but then again he's a man. Men don't say what they truly feel out loud in public."

"Hm."

Khan rounded the screen just then. "Hello, ladies," he said tiredly. Behind him Amaru came in, his face covered in soot and sweat. Iruna quickly moved away from him, but the blacksmith just waved his hands at her and went out.

"I feel sorry for him," said Khan, looking over his shoulder at the disappearing blacksmith. "He told me he spent most of his time bargaining. Loudly."

"What did he mean by waving his hands at me?" asked Iruna, mystified.

"Oh, he was just telling you he knows he's incredibly dirty, so he's gone to take a shower."

"Oh."

"I apologize if I'm interrupting, but all of you seem to know each other very well," said Kushana.

"We were together, once," explained the crusader. "What we've gone through has helped a little, I guess."

Kushana nodded. "I see."

"Well, if you're amazed at our level of friendliness then you'd be surprised to know that we think you're not similar to your brother at all," said Khan. "Apart from the face and the accent."

The huntress smiled. "Samaroh's three years younger than me. We came from a family that has five children. They're all out there now, working for life."

"Yes, Samaroh told us about coming from a family of five children," said Iruna, glancing at Khan. "But...he said he never got much attention from anyone in his family. So why are you here?"

Kushana smiled a little. "Well...I don't think our parents were planning for Samaroh, really. They wanted to stop by the fourth - me, in other words. But somehow things followed one another and he came. They considered giving him up for adoption, but then decided against it and brought him up instead."

"You call that bringing him up? He acts like a pompous idiot," said Khan with some disgust.

"Yeah, I know. No one really cared about him. He didn't really have friends he could talk to. Maybe he did talk with some people, but that probably doesn't count." The huntress sighed. "I guess as a result he buried his nose into books."

Iruna frowned. "He said something about not being an exorcist...?"

"Oh, that. Well, he asked our parents when they were going to actually take notice of him, and they just said that if he wanted to become a priest he should become an exorcist. But...look, sometimes you shouldn't think of him that way. He may be self-righteous sometimes but he does care about people. I guess that's what makes him...well, him."

"And you eventually side him as well?" said Khan, raising an eyebrow.

"I realised that he went against our parents' wishes for a good reason," said Kushana. "Even though he doesn't show it I know he's secretly glad that his older sister will stay with him."

Iruna and Khan exchanged looks. Then the crusader said, "It must be a bit tiring to look after him."

"Well, he _can_ be a bit irritating at times, but when all's said and done and you look at the truth he is still my kid brother. Even if he's an adult he still knows it's my responsibility to look after him. He can't say no."

"And you joined this guild to look after him?" Khan sounded as if he was trying to stop himself from laughing.

"_No._ He'd shoo me off if I did. No, I joined because I wanted a guild that really cared about people, not just the stupid War of Emperium."

"She's got the same thought as Valkron there," said Emeth, rounding the screen. "He thinks it's stupid, too. Waste of money and time."

He sat down with a flump and supported his head in his hands. "Eurgh. I feel sick."

"Well, so do I," said Nocturne, coming into view. "Move up."

"Well, nice to see you all," said Iruna, as Emeth and Khan shifted to make space for the hunter. "How's your d--"

"Don't even _ask_," said Emeth dangerously, pointing his staff at her.

"Right, right, I get it."

Valkron swung himself around the screen. Everyone jumped at the sight of him.

"Hey, hey, what's this I hear? Threatening a woman now, Emeth?" he asked. There was a glint in his eye that the others had not seen before. "That's something I never expected you to do."

"Yeah, well, we're all--"

"I'm sure it's not because you're tired. I am, and I'm not threatening anyone. Except maybe you for, hah, threatening Iruna."

"Valkron?" said the crusader. "Are you all right?"

"Fit as a fiddle, don't you worry." Valkron sat down next to her and grinned somewhat lopsidedly. "I'm fine."

"Oh, dear," said the crusader.

Samaroh came in just then and wordlessly healed the knight. Valkron shook his head vigorously.

"Thanks, I needed that."

"No problem," said Samaroh tiredly, waving his book at him.

All this while Kushana had been staring at each guild member. Iruna was sure she was starting to think that the entire guild was mad and was about to say something when Eni's voice rose above the usual hubbub of the tavern.

"Come on, this way! Just push through, it'll be fine!"

Everyone looked up, even Valkron.

Eni emerged from the crowd a few minutes later, breathless and smiling. Behind her, his wrist in her hand and evidently being pulled along, was _another_ alchemist.

Everyone stared.

At the sight of the group Eni stopped short. Her companion nearly walked into her, but luckily stopped in time.

"Oh...um...wasn't expecting anyone to be here." She stared emphatically at Valkron, who promptly got up from his seat. He knew Eni's looks when he got given them.

He followed both of them to outside the tavern, since the inside was far too noisy to talk. Once outside Eni turned around and gave him a sheepish look.

"Um...Valkron, I hope you don't mind..."

"Yes?" said the knight.

"...but, uh, well, you see, uh, we kind of met in Al de Baran a couple of months back..."

"Yes?"

"...and uh, well, uh..."

"Do you want to uh till the pecos come home?" demanded Valkron.

"Uh, well, no, uh..."

"Get down to it, please."

Seeing her in trouble, the other alchemist quickly stepped forward. "My name is Aramithar," he said. "I'm sorry to bother you, and I'll leave if you--"

"Hang on, hang on, who said you were being bothersome?"

There was silence.

"Is it me or do people tell each other that I am considerably detached from the human race and therefore humans are bothersome to me? Why does this go around behind my back?" Valkron threw his hands into the air. "Look, all I want to know is why you're here and that's all. And Eni's explanation, if she doesn't mind giving it to me."

They looked at her. She turned red and said, "I met him in Al de Baran while researching and we kind of..."

"Clicked together," suggested Valkron dryly.

"...yeah, thanks, clicked together and, well, I just want to know if he could join...?"

The world held its breath. Eni was gazing anxiously up at Valkron, and Aramithar was looking between both of them, clearly puzzled.

Valkron sighed. "I can't say no, can I?"

At this Eni whooped and threw her arms around Aramithar's neck. The alchemist, who had fair hair and wore glasses, looked taken aback by this. Valkron shook his head and returned to the inn, where the others were waiting.

"So that makes ten of us!" said Nocturne triumphantly, once Valkron had finished telling them what had happened.

"That doesn't make a difference, considering how big the other guilds are," said Khan.

"But for us it does make a difference!"

Samaroh yawned. "Right, I think I'm getting the hang of these guild mechanics. I'm turning in. See you guys." He disappeared upstairs without delay.

Valkron gave Iruna a look that said: you're not sleeping with me tonight.

Iruna gave back a look that said: who's going to stop me from that?

* * *

That night Valkron lay in bed for quite some time, wishing that Iruna would get out of the room. It was not that he disliked her to be there. It was that he disliked her to be there _in bed with him_. 

Calm down, he told himself. If I panic this won't get me anywhere.

But no matter how hard he tried Iruna just didn't seem to want to let go of him. She always threw an arm over his waist and ended up burying her nose in his back. The warmth of another person was unnerving, especially for someone who had never really mixed with other people, and every time he felt her soft touch on him he attempted to wriggle out of it. He stopped, however, when he realised he was too close to the edge of the bed to do that any longer.

Until he had hugged her he had never known how it had felt to have a woman's body on his. She probably hadn't noticed, but Valkron treated her as if she was something fragile. Although he knew she wasn't he couldn't help himself. She was vastly different from him. Observing didn't help.

Valkron pondered over this. How could he improve the situation? The only thing he could think of was to get a room with a single bed, leaving Kushana and Iruna to sleep in the same room as Emeth.

Just then Iruna snuggled closer to him. Valkron rolled his eyes and moved his hand onto her arm. He would have to push her off. It was a last resort.

"Valkron..." she mumbled.

The knight froze. After what felt like an eternity he relaxed cautiously and looked over his shoulder at her. She was sleeping peacefully against his back. He took his hand off her arm and turned back into his usual position, cursing himself for being so soft.

But she had said his name in her sleep.

The knight spent some time wondering about this before he eventually fell asleep.

Valkron was up early next day, taking a shower like he did so. What he didn't expect was to see Iruna sitting up on the bed and wide awake when he emerged from the bathroom, still dripping and with a long towel around his waist instead of his trousers.

He nearly dropped it in shock.

"Y-You're up early, Iruna," he said, tightening the knot in a desperate bid to let the damned thing stay in place.

"Why not? I've got to go back to Juno, anyway. I miss practising." She yawned; Valkron took this as an opportunity to whip around behind the curtain that blocked the bathroom from view.

"Yeah, well, at least you could get out of the room," he said.

"It's not like I'm going to do anything to you," she replied.

"Iruna, I am perfectly aware of that. I am also perfectly aware that I prefer not showing my body to anyone else except other men. Now, will you please leave? My trousers are on the chair over there and I don't want to walk out half-naked just to get them. Please."

Instead of doing what he said the crusader got off the bed, gathered the trousers in one hand and handed them over the top of the curtain to him. "Will that help?"

Valkron muttered something about having a woman in a man's room. For a while there was a soft rustling sound, and then he came out drying his hair.

"Okay, now shoo. Please."

He regretted saying it. Iruna was not the kind to be easily moved by men unless she made up her mind to.

"No, I'll stay here. This room is so much bigger than the other one I share with Eni. And besides, it's been getting cold at night. You heat up the bed better than a warming pan."

Valkron nearly died of embarrassment.

"Look, will you please just get out?" he said firmly. "That's it. There's a big difference between us, and that's our gender. Just go. I thought you had something to do."

Iruna sniffed. "Fine, be like that." She got off the bed and went out of the room. Valkron sighed and did whatever he intended to do before dressing himself and going out to the Chivalry.

He spent some time clearing up the mess on his desk before sitting down to finish up whatever he had left from the day before. Somehow the work never seemed to finish...

There was a knock on his door.

"Come in," said Valkron, not looking up from his work. "And incidentally, if it's you, Inigo, the answer is no."

No one came in. Valkron rolled his eyes and focused on his work.

After a while there was another knock. This time whoever it was opened the door before he managed to say anything.

"Sorry to interrupt," came Enriel's voice from around the door, "but we're currently experiencing a--"

"Yes, yes, all right," said Valkron, getting up. "Were you the one from earlier?"

"What? No, I just came."

That meant it had been Inigo who had been at his door earlier. Valkron fitted on his visor. "I'll be down. Give me a minute."

When he got outside the Chivalry there was a merchant girl crying bitterly on the steps while a group of knights stood around her in a ring, looking embarrassed.

"What the hell is going on here? I expect you to be doing something, not just standing around," said Valkron.

"Well, sir...it's just that she won't leave," said one of the knights. "We've told her we'll look for the culprit, but she just won't go."

Valkron looked down at the sobbing merchant and then looked back up at the knights.

"Well, of course she'd stay here if you all stood here like you've been mortared to the ground," he said, his sarcasm whipping the unfortunate knight. "Get going and find that rogue. Or rogues. How many attacked her?"

"She won't say," said the luckless knight.

The knight commander sighed theatrically in exasperation and got to his knees. "Miss," he said softly, "how many attacked you?"

"F-four," sobbed the girl.

Valkron looked up at them. "You heard her. Go."

As the knights jogged off into the city the knight commander extended a hand to the girl. "Here, let's go inside and wait for them to come back. People are still walking around here. I'd rather not have a much trodden on merchant on the steps of the Chivalry."

The girl smiled a little through her tears and took his hand. Valkron brought her to her feet and led her in, where the receptionist and other knights, all of the female persuasion, fussed over the little girl as Valkron stood to the side and watched them.

Once he glanced up and saw Inigo watching him. The younger knight had blinked and moved silently away. Valkron watched him go without any expression.

* * *

It took a long time for the knights to come back, but they finally did. They also brought in three rogues, all bedraggled with their clothes torn and covered in mud. 

"Humour me," said the knight commander, when they had deposited the three struggling, tied up rogues at his feet.

The knights glanced fearfully at each other. When Valkron used that command it meant that he was not pleased. And a lot could happen when he wasn't pleased, including getting demoted.

"Uh...well...we found them sharing out the spoils in an alleyway and, uh, gave chase." The knight who was speaking looked around nervously at his colleagues; they nodded frantically in agreement. Heartened by this, he continued, "We managed to capture three, and bring back the stolen goods."

"Why did you not get the fourth one?" asked Valkron.

The knights paled. The commander had not uttered the words as if he was threatening them, but even so they were already starting to back off from their representative.

"He ran...a bit...too fast...sir..." The knight's eyes were flickering back; he could evidently feel the gap between him and his friends widening.

Valkron inspected his gauntlet for a while. The knights watched him like baby rabbits with their gaze transfixed on a fox that had just entered their burrow.

Eventually he said, "Choose from between yourselves a person who can go after that rogue. I don't want that man to come back until he's got him. If he does...he'll have to--"

There was a unified scream of fear and the sound of footsteps running.

"--face me alone," finished Valkron. Only once he had finished speaking did he look up from his gauntlet. The knight who had been talking was completely alone and very white.

"Er..."

Valkron reached out and patted him on the shoulder. "I don't mean you," he said reassuringly. "You've done enough facing me already. Be grateful."

"You mean...I'm not the one going to look for the fourth rogue?" said the knight, trembling so violently that his armour was making little clinks.

"Yes." Valkron gave him a bright smile. "You may return to whatever you were doing before you left for the three of them. Leave these guys to me."

The knight fled in relief. Valkron watched him and chuckled to himself. He knew the knight's friends would be watching.

"That was a bit harsh," said the receptionist.

"Nah, it was reasonable. Besides...I know where the fourth is."

Valkron moved. There was a small swish and a rogue appeared in front of him, clutching his bleeding arm.

"How did you know I was there?" he said, wincing.

"Let's just say I trust my instinct," said the knight. "You came to get your friends, didn't you? Thought you could sneak all the way here and maybe untie them while I was giving them what for? Get down on the floor and grovel, or you'll never get out of this place alive."

The rogue growled, but he did what the knight said. Although Valkron had certainly not seen the rogue before he was sure that news about himself had spread around the city. A lot of people were talking about him behind his back already.

"Right." Valkron looked back at the receptionist. "Could you get the merchant?"

She was brought forward. As she stood looking down at the four of them Valkron wiped his bloodstained dagger and reached down. He cut the bonds of the other three.

"Run," he said, "and you'll feel the edge of my sword on your necks. Not to mention the Chivalry doors are closed."

The rogues grumbled, but it was evident they couldn't do a thing.

"Right-o." The knight looked up at the girl. "You can ask them anything now."

The merchant stared at them. Then she said timidly, "Why did you steal my potions?"

"We've got a fallen comrade in a warehouse nearby and we were out of money," said one rogue. "And if you were thinking he got injured because we were ripping off someone you're wrong."

"Some stupid fool broke a dead branch in front of us when we were coming in from Izlude," supplied another.

"And we were in Byalan in Izlude doing some looting, if you want to press anything," said a third.

The merchant blinked at them. Then she pulled her satchel towards her and rummaged around inside before pulling out about five white potions. She put them on the floor in front of them. They stared at it.

"You can have those," she said. "Free."

They stared at her. "Really?" asked one.

"Yes."

This time they looked at Valkron. The knight shrugged. "Go ahead."

"But you just captured us!" said one. "Aren't you going to put us in custody for a night and fine us?"

"I do that to people who commit crimes for the fun of it," replied the knight. "I'll let you off this one. But try this again and you will certainly feel your pouches a lot lighter - and it's not because someone just stole a heck load of it off you. Go. Don't ever let me hear about this again."

The four rogues got to their feet and took the potions. They gave ashamed thanks to the girl and to the knight before hurrying off. Valkron looked down at the girl, who looked up at him.

"I thought you were that strict, sarcastic knight," she said.

He shrugged. "A knight needs the human touch, too. Anyway...I'm just a human."

* * *

That night Iruna came back to the inn late, but there was no sign of Valkron. 

"Where's our guild leader gone?" she asked Emeth.

"You mean your boyfriend? He hasn't come back yet," said the wizard. He walked off yawning, leaving Iruna to fume at him.

She slept in his bed that night, and he didn't come back.

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Rune-Midgard version of the phrase "till the cows come home", as in "Do you want to gape there till the cows come home?"


	5. A Little Research

Chapter 5

**A Little Research**

Iruna wandered out of the room early next morning and looked around. She had spent a night alone in the room she now shared with Valkron and Emeth. The wizard had been sleeping in his usual place, but without Valkron the bed felt empty and cold.

It was still dark. The crusader padded about in her stockinged feet, worried for the knight. She knew he was completely capable of taking care of himself, but it wasn't in his nature to not tell them that he wasn't coming back. She was afraid that he might have been dragged into something.

So when Amaru opened the door of the room he shared with Khan and walked out he was surprised to see a distraught blue-haired woman pacing the corridor.

"Iruna?" he said in his deep voice. "What are you doing so early in the morning?"

"Huh? Oh. I...Valkron's not been back at all." Iruna gave the blacksmith a worried look. "I don't know if he's okay or not, or if he's--"

"Valkron?" said Amaru, with some surprise. "He came back about three in the morning."

"He-- How did you know?"

"I was awake, because I had to weigh out how much star crumb I had collected from my usual hunting sessions," replied the blacksmith. "I was downstairs and just finishing when he came in."

"And where is he now?"

"Oh, he didn't want to wake you." Amaru pointed at the end of the corridor. "The door on the left at the end leads to a small reading room. He went in there and didn't come out again."

Iruna nodded her thanks to the blacksmith and went over to the room. Very carefully she turned the doorknob and opened the door.

The room was furnished very simply - a few bookshelves stood against one wall, and a desk as well as a few other, smaller, tables scattered about the room. There were comfy armchairs and, in the middle, was a large couch. The carpet was maroon and the walls were covered in dark green wallpaper save for where the fireplace was.

Iruna looked behind the door. It had seemed somewhat heavy when she had swung it open.

Behind it was a lot of armour hanging from a hook.

The crusader looked around the room again. It seemed completely empty save for the furniture...

...and a pair of feet in darned socks on one arm of the couch.

The crusader quietly shut the door behind her and went over to it. She rounded it and stopped to gaze for a few minutes. Then her face broke into a smile and she sat down on the couch.

Valkron was fast asleep, nestled in one corner of the couch, dressed in his brown shirt and thick leather trousers only. The rest of his armour was hanging behind the door, along with his tunic. Beside the couch stood the pair of metal shoes he wore everyday.

Somehow Iruna couldn't think of anything that was as sweet as this. She could hear his deep breathing as he slept, and for a while she watched him.

After a while she reached out and brushed away the messy white fringe of hair from his eyes. Her hand hovered uncertainly over his face before coming down to rest lightly on his cheek.

Iruna brushed his cheek gently, smiling as she watched him. How could she not trust a man like him? Oh, yes, he was certainly cynical, stubborn and eccentric, but he did his work for the sake of people living in the world. Men had fought Baphomet for the dreaded crescent scythe, but only Valkron had obtained it to rid the world of evil.

There was a soft grunt from the knight. She did not take her hand from his face; instead, she watched as Valkron's own hand came up and grasped her wrist.

The knight half-opened his eyes. The deep emerald green irises slid to one side.

"Good morning, Valkron," said the crusader, smiling at him.

He turned his head slightly to gaze at her for a few minutes. Then he smiled a little. "Good morning, Iruna."

Maybe it was his sleepy, human face. Maybe it was his tired voice. Whatever it was, it softened Iruna. She bent over him and brushed her lips against his. Valkron closed his eyes and let his fingers encircle her neck. Their breathing slowed as they kissed deeply. Valkron's shoulders relaxed, and Iruna leaned forward until she was lying right on top of him.

After what felt like an eternity they broke apart. Iruna lifted her head slightly and looked down at Valkron, who was blinking a little.

"You should have said you were coming back late," she said. "I was so worried."

"I didn't have time to do a runner, especially with all my armour," replied the knight sleepily. "Not even with a peco."

"What happened?"

"Some stupid rogue gang trying to mug people in the night. We spent four hours chasing them up and down alleyways, and resorted to hiring a couple of hunters to set out traps for them. Let me get up."

"Aren't you tired?"

"You bet. But my back hurts like hell, too. This is definitely not a good place to sleep..."

Iruna pulled him up by the hand. He swung his legs off the couch and massaged his back gingerly, wincing a little.

"They've given us the day off," he added, seeing her concerned face. "I'll just go and take a hot shower and then I'll go back to sleeping again. What time is it, anyway?"

"Should be about seven."

"Seven? Four bloody hours of sleep? Oh, gods..." Valkron covered his eyes with one hand.

"Come on, I'll help you up and get your stuff for you. Emeth's still asleep, by the way, so it might help if you don't wake him up. He was having some kind of low blood sugar situation last night."

"A wizard with low blood sugar is someone you'd definitely want to avoid," said Valkron, getting to his feet. "Especially for one like Emeth. Where are my shoes-- oh, here they are. All right then."

Together they made their way back. Iruna was surprised when Valkron hugged her briefly before going into the room, but it was a pleasant surprise. She made her way down to breakfast still smiling a little vaguely.

* * *

Corporal Inigo watched two trainee knights duel in the practice courts. It was that or lounge around in the Prontera Library, which he did not want to do because of the large number of magicians almost always occupying the place. Otherwise, yes, he would have gone like a shot.

The less senior knights had completely nothing to apart from their administration work. Half the senior knights had been involved in the previous night's chase, and with half gone to bed in the barracks or inns and the other half with their guilds the Chivalry was now far too quiet. Even the receptionist had found time to nap on the table.

But that was exactly what he wanted. He had stayed in the Chivalry for a reason, and it would do him no good if other knights knew what that reason was.

"Well, Inigo?" said a voice from the shadows behind the corporal.

The knight turned around. "He seems to have changed. We might be up for some difficult business here."

"Are you suggesting we curb the activity of the guild?" said the person shrouded in the darkness.

"No. I doubt the guild will ever be worth fighting in the War of Emperium. However, Valkron doesn't seem to want to stop. He thinks that he can still work for the people like he used to."

There was a pause, only broken by the sounds of metal clashing in the practice court. Then the person said, "Well, I'm still doubtful. The Raulus guild may have the potential to beat us down."

Inigo smiled wryly. "Defeat the Black Cross? We're the biggest and most powerful guild in the kingdom. With the highest economy and the highest success rate at defending all the castles we have conquered there is no one who can stand up to us. Not even the Exodus Faction and Apocalypse Ultima can do anything about it, and before that dark time they were the two most powerful guilds."

"Nothing lasts, Inigo," said the person. "Not forever. One day we'll have to step down."

Inigo shrugged. "Well, I'm not going to elaborate on our secrets into detail. It's really up to you, I guess. The guild leader is appointing _you_ to be his deputy, not me."

"Yeah." There were footsteps that began to fade away into the shadows.

Inigo was just turning back to watch the two trainee knights when the voice of the person spoke quietly.

"Valkron will win. That is what I believe."

* * *

Valkron woke up in the afternoon. By then there wasn't anyone around, so he decided that he was not going to hang around in the inn. There were better things to do than lounge.

But where could he go? Unless he wanted to torture Emeth as he taught his students - which he wouldn't do, since he respected the wizard's pride - he had nothing to go about. Everything he had to do had been done.

Valkron mused over the matter for a while. Then he disappeared into the room he shared with Emeth and Iruna.

When he came out anyone who had seen him would not have been able to recognise him. He had pulled on a bandana so that it hugged his head lopsidedly, and was wearing merchant clothes. If anyone had seen him now they would be surprised.

He walked out of the inn and made his way to the Northern Gate.

"Al de Baran, please," he said.

The Kafra girl in front bowed. Valkron felt the familiar blue light around him before there was a sensation of time passing around him before he appeared in the City of Canals.

He swayed a little before recovering, and then he set of purposefully towards the Guild Liaison office. Set right in the middle of the city and looking out at the great Clock Tower in the very heart of Al de Baran, it was the centre of business now. Even the Kafra Corporation headquarters looked a bit abandoned.

The Guild Liaison Office was a large building constructed out of grey stone and finest mortar. With its blue tiled roof it fitted perfectly in the city. Every windowsill had a flowerbox under it, filled with colourful geraniums that bobbed their heads when the wind blew.

Valkron made his way into the building. It was a tough thing to do - the place was so packed he swore he could have found more space in a tin of sardines. He had to shove through - something that he disliked doing, but since he was dressed as a merchant he had to play his part. Not that merchants shoved all the time.

When he had got to the counter he desperately waved. He would have lost his voice trying to shout over the crowd.

"May I help you!" said one of the girls fronting the desk.

"Yes, I'd like to know more about setting up a guild!"

"This way please!

Relieved, valkron made his way out to where the girl was waiting near a staircase. They walked up to the Registration Department, where Valkron faced about thirty potential guild leaders.

"Oh, I apologize," said the girl, seeing his shocked expression. "Suddenly guild forming has become a sort of fashion. Could you come this way, please?"

Valkron did so, rather thankfully. He had purposely slicked down his hair so that he looked neater, but he knew some people could recognise him easily. He hoped no one in the office had.

The girl led him to a smaller room, away from the Registration Office. As they walked she chatted almost continuously.

"It's really the craze now, forming a guild with your friends. I don't know why it's such a popularity! The emperium crystal is worth over five hundred zeny, but people still want to inflate the price like mad. Or else they go and hunt orcs, which is a shame, really. Those creatures never did us any wrong. This way, sir. Some of the guilds aren't even qualified for the War of Emperium! People just form them so that they can have more friends into their party. I tell you, it's really disheartening to see people consider guilds to be a larger version of parties! To your left, sir. And besides, the big guilds out there aren't going to step aside for the tiny ones. Now, those are the guilds that keep up to their standards. In this way, sir."

Valkron went in, relieved that she had stopped talking. He had nearly overreacted when she had touched on the topic of forming a guild for the sake of having friends and not for any other reason. It had taken him a lot of discipline to stop him from doing anything rash.

The little room that he had been led into was special. He had gone in before, when he was registering the Raulus, but he had had not enough time to read anything they had in there. The girl left him to it.

He spent the whole afternoon reading and copying down notes off the books he looked through. Finally he shut the last book with a satisfied snap and returned it to its rightful place.

As he got up to leave he noticed a small booklet on the table near where he had been sitting. Funny. He hadn't noticed it before.

Valkron picked it up and took a look at it. He put it down. Then he snatched it up again and looked at the cover once more.

It was an up-to-date record of the best guilds in the kingdom.

Valkron opened it. The first few pages were a long table, showing the points the guilds had accumulated, the level of their economy and their ranking. His eyes glanced at the date. It was four months ago - before the time of the portal.

The first guild was the Exodus Faction. Led by the crusader Adiemus it had been the highest for more than a year, and an economy that defeated the rest. Valkron respected the Exodus Faction and its leader - Adiemus himself was a good friend.

He looked through the tables. Even Sagna's guild, the Odyssey, was one of the top ten guilds back then. He was quite surprised, but then again the ten of them had been involved in the Geffen Ten Guilds Raid, which was hard to forget. Valkron had spent more time with Adiemus after the portal had been destroyed, and never told him how he had died. The people who had died did not remember how they came back to life again.

Then he flipped through the pages to four months later...and had a shock.

This was what he read.

_The Odyssey - 10_

_The Seven Eyes - 9_

_The Defenders of Prontera - 8_

_The Legionnaires - 7_

_Apocalypse Ultima - 6_

_The Guardians of Geffen - 5_

_Exorcisma - 4_

_The Exodus Faction - 3_

_Note: the second and first positions have been occupied by the Black Cross. It has accumulated over 1,000 points as of this date_.

The El Midor guild was gone from the lists. It had been the fifth highest before. But even though Valkron desperately searched for it, it just did not exist any more.

And there was a disturbing thought that kicked into his mind just then. How did the Black Cross gain supremacy so fast? It just wasn't right.

Valkron closed the book thoughtfully and put it back where it had been. He stood there for a while, biting on his lower lip. Then, as if he had made up his mind, he walked over to where the maps of all the guild castles were stored and had a look though all of them.

There were four cities that had guild castles near them - Prontera, Al de Baran, Geffen and Payon. Valkron pored over them for a while, and then eventually put three maps back. He took the fourth with him, sliding it into the merchant's satchel before he went out. There was an advantage to merchant bags, he thought.

* * *

When the rest came back they found a relatively silent Valkron sitting at the table and making notes, referring to a very large map spread across the table.

"Hey? What's this?" said Eni, bending down to look at it. "I've never seen this place before. Where is this?"

The knight did not reply.

They watched him as he scribbled down notes in very, very bad handwriting. Apparently he knew what he was writing and what it all meant, but for the others it seemed that all of it was written by a spider on a trampoline during an earthquake. The fact that all of it was in ink did not help matters.

Iruna moved Nocturne aside and stood right in front of Valkron. "What are you doing?"

The knight did not answer.

"Valkron, I know what you're referring to," said the crusader, slightly annoyed that the knight was not answering. "Do you thing we want to do this? We've got only ten people in our guild and you're already looking at plans? What do you intend?"

No answer.

Iruna leaned across the table. "Valkron," she said slowly, "I'm talking to you politely. Don't make me talk to you impolitely."

Valkron lifted his head from the paper. "Iruna, I respect that. But I also wish you could respect the fact that I'm busy."

"Just explain why you're referring to a castle map," said Iruna. "I want to know. We're not going to try and invade a castle, are we?"

It felt like everyone around the table was holding their breath. Valkron looked at face to expectant face, and leaned back in his chair, still as calm as ever. "This map shows Britoniah," he said quietly. "Where the guild castles of Geffen are located. I've decided that we should try to take over one of the castles, Repherion. As you can see here."

"But we really don't have many people in our guild," protested Eni. "How can we conquer it?"

Valkron sighed. "First of all, we're not going to _conquer_ or _invade_ it. We're simply going to take over. This castle, as with the other four, are completely empty and unnoccupied, except for the monsters that live in it. Why is that so? Because it is too far from the capital to be truly a focus of attention just yet."

The knight stood up and pulled out another map from underneath. Everyone craned their necks to see it as he spread it out on the table and smoothed the creases out of it.

"This map shows the castle areas in the kingdom. The Valkyrie Realms are next to Prontera. All five castles of the Realms have been occupied by the Black Cross. As it is, that guild is now vying to gain the castles of Al de Baran," he pointed, "which are in Luina. Down at Greenwood Lake, near Payon," his hand swept down to touch the little village, "the Exodus Faction has taken over two castles, while Apocalypse Ultima is struggling to defend its castle against the Seven Eyes. Right beside it is the Legionnaires guild. The last castle remains unoccupied."

"So no one's tried Geffen before?" said Samaroh. "Odd. I thought they'd all rush for it."

"Well, we'll see what keeps the others from Britoniah," replied Valkron, shrugging. "In the meantime, I'm figuring out the passageways of Repherion. There's going to be a lot of thinking over this."

After a few minutes of silence Iruna managed to find her voice to say, "And _how_ did you find out all this?"

"The Guild Liaison Office, of course," answered Valkron brightly.

There was a stunned silence. Then Emeth said, "I thought you didn't want to go there."

"Eventually I did," said the knight, in a tone of resignation. "Can't avoid them forever, I'm afraid - I wish I could. They were mocking me when I registered."

"Why would they?" said Eni, frowning. "Unless you'd been cynical to them in a way."

"Eni, trust me on this," said Valkron, looking up. "I have never met any of the officers until I went to register our guild. End."

"What were they mocking you about?" asked Samaroh, sitting down next to the knight.

"Mainly due to the presence of the big guilds."

"What?"

Valkron gestured vaguely, trying to shape his thoughts into coherent words. "We'd saved the world - even if we didn't intend to - so they were challenging us to stand up to the big guilds with our existence. Uh. I guess."

"That's not very fair," said Kushana indignantly. "You guys just started out. There's no way we can stand up to them in three months. We're not even ranked yet."

"Speaking of ranking," Valkron looked up again, "what rank is the El Midor? It's no longer one of the top ten, or top twenty, or fifty, or hundred."

Everyone looked at each other, but no one answered. Valkron looked from face to face.

"Well?" he said.

"I'm not sure if this is right," said Nocturne slowly, "but no one actually knows where it's gone."

"Gone?" asked Valkron. "What do you mean, gone?"

"It's gone, Valkron," said the hunter. "Everyone disappeared one month after the portal...thing. It's just...gone."

"You mean disbanded?"

"I mean gone."

Valkron threw his hands into the air. "That's not helping, Nocturne. How would they have gone if they hadn't disbanded?"

"I doubt it's disbanded," said Samaroh worriedly. "I've got a friend in the El Midor - a fellow priest. He told me he loved the guild and he'd never leave it. His leader was actually considering it, because he was under pressure of some sort, but the members stopped him and they continued. Several weeks later they just vanished. I haven't seen him for a long time."

The knight frowned. The El Midor had been under pressure to disband? But why? The guild had been one of the most friendly and amiable in the kingdom. It was one of the very few veteran guilds that took in novices and had some of its best warriors teach them. And there had been no forcing, no regret...nothing.

"We'll see," he said at last. "Now, do you want to help me out with forming a strategy for taking over this castle?"


	6. Two Duels and a Talk

Chapter 6

**Two Duels and a Talk**

There was just too much noise living in a tavern, Valkron thought, as he stepped off the stairs into the ground floor. They had to move, eventually.

Some of the guild members were wandering aimlessly around the guild table. As the knight approached them they glanced up and then looked away.

"Hey, why's everyone so bored today?" he asked, picking up the jug of water from the table and pouring himself a glass. "I thought you have work to do."

"Yeah, well...most of our employers think that as guild members we should be more involved in the War of Emperium and not in 'mundane' activities," said Khan.

"Mundane my foot," said Valkron. "It's what we used to do for a living before we came together. They can't chase us off just because we're a guild now."

"That's exactly the point," said Amaru, a thin wisp of smoke rising into the air from the glowing end of his cigarette. "They think we'd be glad leaving work and going off to do guild stuff."

"Right." Valkron frowned. "Aren't you normally at Geffen?"

The blacksmith shrugged. "The Blacksmiths' Guild said I shouldn't be wasting resources mending strangers' equipment."

"This is ridiculous." Valkron buried his face in his hands.

"Well, no one seems to be hiring me these days either," said Khan. "I don't even know why I keep going down to Morroc. All I ever do in the guild is just stand around and talk, or get asked to front the guild."

"I'm not going to Payon," said Nocturne from behind them, where he was fastening his boots.

"Why not?" said Khan, surprised.

The hunter shook his head. "I've had enough patrolling the forests. We get paid a measly 5 zeny for every hour, too. I'm never going to get anywhere with that much as my salary. The hunters are calling it off too."

Valkron, who had been listening all this while, looked around and spotted Eni sitting at the table. "What about you, Eni? Don't tell me they said something to you on the lines of 'You're in a guild, you shouldn't waste your time working.'"

"Nah, they didn't," she said. "I've got nothing to do other than go around Prontera selling my wares. Which I've been doing for the past few months, actually. I think I'll have a rest today."

Valkron looked around. "Where's Aramithar?"

"Ara? Oh, he's on a research project the Institute of Alchemistry is carrying out, in Al de Baran. He's kinda busy these days, so you won't really get to see him much. Not that I will, either," she added ruefully.

"They didn't ask you to join the project?"

"I'm not as good as Ara." Eni stroked Fluffball distractedly. "He's pretty good in alchemistry and machinery, even if they hadn't found the substance that will convert any metal to gold and give an elixir that will grant its drinker immortality."

"Do _you_ believe in that?" asked Valkron shrewdly.

"Me? Haha. No. Most alchemists don't. We're more interested in other things."

"Yeah, like making acidic potions," said Nocturne grumpily.

"They're not potions!"

"Oh yeah? You throw them like you do with your flammable potions!"

"Samaroh down yet?" said Valkron loudly, before the siblings could continue their argument.

"Nope, not seen him," said Kushana, who was stringing her composite bow opposite Valkron.

Valkron sighed and sat down. "I don't even feel like going to the Chivalry today. It's just the same old paperwork. I wish I had an assistant. And people keep coming to my office and asking me to train them."

"That's going a bit far," said the huntress.

"I can't be that famous, can I?" said the knight, sighing.

"Actually, you are." Samaroh appeared behind Valkron. He patted the knight on the shoulder. "Even the monks know you. The sages, the rogues--"

"I doubt rogues would ever forget me now," said Valkron.

"--and the rest of them - you're famous to them," continued the priest, as if Valkron hadn't spoken. "Everywhere I go your name is spoken everywhere."

"Just one thing. Is it gossip?"

"Yes. Mainly."

Valkron groaned.

"But it's gossip in a good way." The priest thumped his book down on the table and sat down. He crossed his legs and supported his chin in one hand. "People exaggerate the tales about you so much you're appearing to them as a sort of saviour for the kingdom."

"Odin save me."

"Come on, a little good gossip now and then is healthy for your reputation! You can't think of it that badly!"

"He doesn't like it because he's not a hero," said Emeth, walking to the table. "And no one wants all that hyped up as well. You might not know how it feels."

"You do?" asked Samaroh.

"Well, when you have about forty girls screaming in delight at the sight of me and forty boys trying to talk to me at the same time, 'feeling' is an understatement."

"Ah."

"I don't think Samaroh would ever get worshipped like that," said Eni. "He's far too pompous for the likes of being worshipped."

"Right. Well, I don't ever want to either," said the priest. "The bishops and the deacons are surprised I managed to cast the exorcism spell they rewrote, seeing as I'm a healer and everything. Now they want me to test the other spells they're writing, but I'm rejecting their offer today. I don't want to be used as a lab rat, thank you very much."

"You mean you don't want to lose your dignity, if you do have it," said Nocturne, grinning.

The priest glared at the hunter, but did not reply. Valkron, sensing the drop in the atmospheric temperature, quickly said, "All right, that's enough. Samaroh, go and get whatever you need done, and don't tell me the monastery has tried to kick you off its training just because you're part of a guild. Nocturne, please try to curb that outrighteousness as well. I'll be seeing you guys soon, and we can get down to forming out our plans for invading Repherion. Is that fine?"

The people around the table nodded, even Nocturne and Samaroh. Valkron strode off, shaking his head.

He went to the Chivalry again and spent quite a blissful afternoon. Enriel had generously given him a little sign in exchange for resolving the rogue problem, a sign that he could hang on the handle of his door. It read:

_Do Not Disturb._

And it was working, as far as he could tell. He kept an ear out for people, and often heard footsteps stop outside his door. No one ever knocked, however.

Most people - or most people who were not knights - assumed that knights kept their armour on at all times, ready for anything that came their way. This included wearing it while working at their desks and at anything else.

It was also a popular misconception. The average knight's armour was half the weight of an average man, and probably the best thing that could keep them warm. Unfortunately this meant that in summer the armour would be nothing but an oven.

Knights actually worked at their desk jobs without their armour. Valkron didn't even bother to wear most of his armour when he had gone to the Chivalry. Instead he had simply hung the pieces up in a small locker and set to work just wearing the usual brown shirt and trousers he always wore underneath the armour.

It was autumn now, but he didn't feel all that cold. He worked the morning and afternoon away, writing letters, filling in documents, signing permission slips and counting. In the silence of his office with only the muffled sounds of the knights running about outside he enjoyed himself, finishing off everything.

Then he went out of his office and submitted everything in.

"Wow, the higher ups are going to be shocked at the amount of work you just returned them," said the receptionist, laughing. "You just gave us a two-foot pile of work!"

"Yeah, well, I never said I slacked off," said Valkron, grinning. "Tell them that it's a nice present from me."

"Sure." The receptionist pushed the pile aside. "By the way, what are you going to do for Halloween?"

Valkron blinked. "What did I do last year?"

"You weren't here last year. Not the previous year either, come to think of it."

The knight stayed silent. He had absolute no idea what to do. Although the Chivalry stayed in accordance with the public holidays of the kingdom he had no wish to participate in the festivities. When the younger knights had gone to drink and make merry he had just stayed out in the cold, dark streets and made sure everyone was safe.

"Uh...same as what I used to do before those two years?" he suggested.

"You're kidding me," remarked the girl.

"No, I'm not."

"Come on, get out and relax a bit. You're always working, always serious. Get a bit more out of life, will you?" The girl leaned forward. "And I hear you have a girlfriend, too. Spend a little more time with her, why don't you?"

"Excuse me," said Valkron hotly, "my personal life isn't for you to change. I like doing work on holidays, thank you very much!"

_But I really should learn how to relax_, thought the knight, as he wandered back to his office. _Otherwise how am I ever going to get past my image as a strict, stern old geezer?_

_Just go along with yourself_, said a voice in his head. _You'll know how to be when the time comes. No need to force yourself now._

Valkron thought irritably, _And you'll never shut up, won't you?_

_I AM you, if you don't recall._

The knight sighed and shook his head. Maybe he really was schizophrenic after all.

He was passing the practise courts by the time he came to his senses. His head was still spinning from the conversation he had with whoever it was in his mind, so he decided to lean against a pillar and watch the knights train. Fighting always stabilised his mind, because it was distracted by moves and speed. He knew it wasn't healthy, but there was nothing he could help.

As he watched it dawned on him that the knights who were fighting were Inigo - Corporal Inigo, yes - and Sagna. He pushed everything out of his mind and focused on the battle, his eyes watching the two.

Sagna did not have a rank, although Valkron's commendation had granted him a speedy promotion. He had rocketed through the rookie knights and was now considered to be very close to graduating and joining the older knights. He was viewed with envy, but Valkron did emphasise that Sagna had well and truly deserved it.

And he had. In all his life Valkron had trained knights, and knew that good rookies would develop their own fighting styles in the future, if trained well and motivated. Sagna had certainly learned his lessons. The knight had been slow and ungraceful before the time of the portal; now he moved with ease and in harmony with everything.

Valkron smiled as he remembered the words he had told Sagna when they had been duelling, shortly after the time of the portal.

_"A good knight is always one with his weapon, be it sword or spear. There is no such thing as a better or best weapon. The success of a warrior always lies with the warrior himself."_

It had been somewhat cheesy, but it was what Valkron had always believed. And Sagna, who knew now to stand on his own two feet and make decisions on his own, chose to heed the advice.

Corporal Inigo looked like he was having a hard time. He was a sword user, and someone who was trained to stand up in the frontline and not go down easily. Sagna, on the other hand, was a spear user. Although also designed for the frontline he had an advantage over Inigo because of his wider range.

The two knights danced across the sandy flagstones, twirling and spinning, their metal shoes hidden in the clouds of dust. Sagna ducked to avoid a roundhouse swing from Inigo and scythed the corporal's legs from under him.

Inigo responded by somersaulting over. He then charged, bringing his sword down. Sagna stepped aside neatly to avoid it and whacked Inigo on the head with the shaft.

The corporal stumbled; Sagna slammed the shaft into his neck and shoved him away. The two of them circled warily, Inigo massaging his neck.

Inigo lunged. Sagna held out the spear in both hands. The blade landed on the metal shaft and ground as the two knights struggled. Then Sagna suddenly shifted backwards, and Inigo, who was pressing far too hard, lost his balance.

The corporal rolled over, but it was too late. Sagna had the spearhead pointing at his throat.

"That's three out of five rounds, Inigo," said the younger knight calmly. "Still want to go on?"

Inigo snorted, but he was no fool. He got to his feet, brushing sand off his chain mail. "You've won this time, Sagna, but don't expect to win again."

"Uh...incidentally, did you know how many times you've challenged me? And lost?" replied Sagna casually, smoothing the creases out of his tunic.

"Why you--"

There was a cough. Sagna and Inigo turned around to see Valkron leaning against a pillar coolly.

"You were going to say, Inigo?" said the commander.

The corporal huffed and walked off. Sagna watched him go and then turned back to Valkron. "How'd that go, sir?"

"Good. You've improved." valkron got off the pillar. "Your tutor teach you all that?"

"He just taught me some moves, but most of it was from you, sir," said Sagna, with a touch of pride.

Valkron knew Inigo was watching from the shadows, but he couldn't have cared more. He put his hand around the handle of his sword. "Want to have a go at me, Sagna?"

The rookie knight gave him an anxious look. "Why now, sir?"

"Just a test."

Sagna nodded.

The two knights took up position. Valkron held his sword by his side and focused carefully on Sagna. As he did everything around him blurred out, and the rookie sharpened.

There was silence. Then Sagna darted forward. Valkron jumped; the spear passed under his feet barely a few inches away.

Sagna whipped the spear away and brought it down. Valkron hit it away with a clang and threw himself to the side. Seconds later the spearhead scored a deep groove in the flagstones where he had been.

"Whoa, not so hard," said Valkron, getting to his feet. "You don't intend to kill me, do you?"

"Sorry, sir."

The rookie knight lunged with the spear. Valkron leapt once more, but he was not done. The tip of his metal shoe touched lightly on the shaft; he somersaulted in midair and kicked out. Sagna narrowly missed getting his nose broken.

"Cool!" said the rookie breathlessly. "Didn't know you could do that at your age!"

"Well, I don't recommend you to learn it at this age," replied Valkron, laughing. "My back will complain later."

The rookie brought his spear around. Valkron parried the blow and threw it off; Sagna scythed at his feet again. The commander did a little skip to avoid it and crouched; one second later he had darted forward, still low. Sagna whirled out of the way.

The sand of the court began to rise in the air as the two knights duelled, one a rookie and one a commander. As they fought the sound of metal against metal attracted passing knights. Within minutes there was a crowd, watching as spear and sword, novice and veteran, tussled and fought for the upper hand.

Sagna lunged. Valkron did a peculiar twist of his wrist; the spearhead deflected off the sword and flew into the air. Sagna gripped it with both hands to regain control, and as he did swung it around to Valkron's neck.

The crowd gasped as the commander swiftly leaned backwards. The spearhead passed inches from the tip of his nose. Sagna swung it the opposite way immediately, but Valkron had seen it. In an instant he had done a handstand; the spear hit his shin armour.

Valkron clapped his shins together and somersaulted easily. As his feet reached the ground above his head he pushed himself upwards with his hands, bringing his feet around and under him, and then out. He released the spear then and landed back on the ground.

Sagna had watched every single bit of what valkron had done. As soon as the spear flew into the air his eyes followed it. He skidded away from Valkron and caught the spear before it hit the ground. There was a cheer, and applause from the crowd.

"Good," said Valkron. "You're watching."

"If I didn't I'd be dead," replied Sagna, grinning.

The rookie swung the spear in an arc towards the commander. Valkron swung his sword in the opposite direction. There was a clang, a shower of sparks, and then the knight commander had suddenly grabbed the spear and yanked it out of Sagna's hands.

"Still haven't figured out what would happen if someone grabbed your spear, though," remarked the older knight, grinning broadly.

Sagna's face turned red, but Valkron could see he was willing to improve. The crowd clapped as the commander handed the spear back to Sagna and shook hands with him.

"You're almost ready to graduate, I see," said Valkron.

Sagna turned, if possible, even redder. "Not yet, sir. Still can't get a grip on a few things."

"Hah. Like I believe you." Valkron gave the rookie a good-natured slap on the back that made him cough. "Go for it. Any day now, and you'll be overtaking me."

"Yeah, right."

Seeing that the fight was over the crowd dispersed. Valkron slid his sword back into its scabbard and watched Sagna put his spear back into the rack nearby.

"Well, well, if it isn't Valkron working on such a fine day like this."

Valkron knew the voice. There was no way he could ever forget it. He said, "Hello, Adiemus," and _then_ turned around.

The crusader Adiemus was leaning nonchalantly on his shield and smoking his pipe casually. He looked no different from the day Valkron had met him on the day of the Ten Guilds Raid.

"Why do you work so hard, Valkron?" said Adiemus, waving his pipe. "It's a fine day. No one's getting injured, nothing's happening."

"Well, there's plenty of administration work I left behind, really," said Valkron, going over the crusader. Sagna waved to him and walked off, evidently returning to the rookie knights' barracks to rest. "And I still watch over my students."

"I'll never find a tutor who is just as concerned as you when it comes to students," remarked Adiemus. "Most of them just leave their students to train, but you seem to guide every footstep of theirs."

Valkron shook his head. "It depends. Anyway, eventually with every student I let go of their hands sooner or later. I show them the doorway; they walk through it alone."

"A bit harsh, that," said the crusader.

"Nonsense. Every knight needs to have independence. We're not built to rely on others."

"On the other hand, crusaders are built to be relied on." Adiemus shook his head. "Oh, what would I do for some peace."

Valkron laughed. "So, how's your guild going? I hear it's rising in rank."

"That's mainly economy. We've successfully defended our two castles in Greenwood Lake for three months now. Guild funds are going up, too."

The commander shrugged. "I just don't get how your guild can be so popular."

"Good ring to the name, I guess," said the crusader, shrugging. "You know, _I_ don't even know why they like my guild. How's yours?"

"Ten members."

"Ten additional members? That's good!"

"No, just ten. Eight from the original party, two newcomers."

"Ah." Adiemus mulled over this for a while. Then he said, "I think you might need a castle to boost up your popularity."

"Yeah, we were thinking of that," said Valkron. "We're considering Repherion of Britoniah."

Adiemus nearly dropped his pipe. "What? Are you serious?"

"I said we're _considering_ it."

"The reason why no one ever picks that place is because monsters roam Britoniah freely," said the crusader. "There's a lot of hassle getting a castle; we don't need any more trouble with trying to get [ito[/i it. Greenwood Lake, Luina, the Valkyrie Realms...they're all easy to invade. Not Britoniah."

Valkorn shrugged. "Monsters are not a problem. The only thing is that my party has almost nil experience in fighting with other people. That doesn't include each other in the guild, by the way."

Adiemus thoughtfully ran his finger around the rim of the bowl of his pipe. "Well, it's not like I don't believe in you. You're capable of doing anything when you want to. Just be careful when you go to Britoniah, all right?"

Valkron looked around furtively, and lowered his voice to a whisper. "Could you...give me some advice on how to survey the area?"

The crusader chuckled. "Easy. One word, Valkron. Do it before you do anything else. Reconnoitre."

"That's _it?_"

"That's all there is to it. Every guild knows this too, so there's no need to whisper. Everyone does it - the Legionnaires, the Seven Eyes, Apocalypse Ultima, the Odyssey...even the oh-so-high-and-mighty Black Cross."

Valkron remembered what he had asked his guild the previous night. "What happened to the El Midor?"

A haunted look passed over the crusader's face. It reminded Valkron rather horribly of the Ten Guilds Raid.

"I don't pretend to believe the rumour," he said hollowly. "But it's said that the El Midor...got involved."

"Involved in what?" said Valkron, frowning.

Adiemus shrugged. "Don't ask me. It just...got involved. And then one day every single member disappeared, and the guild disappeared."

"Yeah, I know that," said Valkron dismissively, "but why?"

The crusader looked like he didn't want to go on but he just said in a low voice, "The rumour going around says that the Black Cross wiped them out of existence."

Valkron's eyes widened in shock.

* * *

Somewhere in the shadows of the pavilion that ran around the practice court Corporal Inigo narrowed his eyes.

"The Exodus Faction would make a good target," he said, smiling. It was not a very pleasant smile.


	7. Confrontation

Chapter 7

**Confrontation**

"I've always wondered how the Black Cross ascended in rank within three months of being restored," said Khan, leaning back in his chair and putting his feet up on the table. "I never knew they'd go as far as to wipe out an entire guild."

"I don't wonder," said Samaroh darkly. "Vineis is not a nice person."

"Vineis being?" asked Amaru.

"Their leader. He's a wizard, and someone who believes he's a cut above the rest." The priest shrugged. "Personally, I believe he should be taken down a peg or two. But I wouldn't dare challenge at him at this stage."

"Interesting," said Emeth dully, stirring his cup of coffee as if it was mud.

The guild looked at him. The wizard always came back tired from his days of teaching in the Academy, but now they couldn't avoid disturbing him.

"You know Vineis?" asked Valkron.

"Vineis? Oh, no, I never did," answered Emeth. Several people winced at the sarcasm in his voice. "What does it look like to you? The Magic Academy is a small world compared to the kingdom, you know!"

"All right, all right, I didn't mean to offend you," said Valkron soothingly. "But really...how was he like back then?"

"He was a bit of a morbid student. Used to ask weird questions in class, like 'How long can the human body stand being hit by Soul Strike before breaking down?' Honestly, I think he's a bit screwed in the mind."

"You guys insult them far too loudly," said the knight sourly.

"But it's the truth! I bet he knows he's out of his mind." Emeth put his teaspoon on the saucer and downed the coffee in one. "He liked to carry out experiments and he was always in the advanced section of the library in Geffen Tower."

"He was that privileged?" asked Samaroh in a voice of disdain.

"No, he was like me. Whacked, but talented." Emeth paused, and then added, "I don't do what he does, however."

"I don't think you do," said Valkron, giving the wizard a look. "I would have kicked you out well before all this started if you did. Right, let's get our minds off the Black Cross and think about this."

They turned back to the map spread out on the table. Valkron had had to go and retrieve the maps of Britoniah and Repherion.

"Adiemus says Britoniah is absolutely swarming with monsters," explained the knight. "But he suggests we reconnoitre all the same. Nocturne, would you like to volunteer for this?"

"Is it because I'm a hunter?"

"Uh, well, no, not exactly...okay, yes, yes, it is." Valkron put up his hands as if to shield himself from the glare the pair of bright blue eyes gave him.

"He can't go on his own, Valkron," said Iruna. "We'll need someone to go with him - Samaroh, maybe, or me. With the Orc Village nearby he might get into trouble."

"Why does it always have to be me?" groaned Samaroh.

Valkron whipped around. "Are you implying that Nocturne is someone you can't trust?"

"Well, no, but I--"

"Then go with him! This party was built on trust, and now we're going to do the same with the guild!"

"Relax, Valkron," said Iruna, patting the knight on the shoulder. "Samaroh's just saying what his heart doesn't mean. He won't have the heart to let Nocturne go on his own."

"Oh, yeah, nice," said the priest.

Valkron eyed him. "I can just imagine him being nice to Nocturne," he said sarcastically. "Okay. Fine. Both of you will have to go to Geffen and start off from there. Emeth, would you like to guide them to Britoniah? I'm sure you know where it is."

Emeth blinked. "I don't."

"What?"

"Your maps say it all, anyway."

Valkron looked down. "Oh."

The wizard shrugged. "I've never been to Britoniah. As I said, I was with the Prontera batch of students so I spent most of my time in the fields surrounding Prontera. It was fun bullying the porings. Ah, what days those were..."

"I'm sure we don't need to know," said Valkron, looking up from his map.

"Sorry."

"I still can't figure out why you want me around," said Samaroh. "I'm still not good enough."

The others exchanged looks around the table. Then Khan said, "That's coming from a man who used the most powerful spell in the kingdom."

"That was a fluke, okay?" replied Samaroh.

"Oh, don't mind him," said Kushana, sitting not far away from her brother. "Most of the time he talks about being like the guild leader of Apocalypse Ultima."

"He's a priest?" asked Khan.

"Oh, yes. One of the most powerful in the kingdom. I don't know his name, but I do know he's a tough one. It's been said he knocked out five assassins during one War of Emperium single-handedly and continued to defend the emperium room."

"Whoa," said Khan.

"It's okay. I've met him before. He seems a bit...seraphic, and a bit vague. He's got a major disadvantage as a guild leader, but judging by how successful his guild is I think he's pretty shrewd with battle strategies."

"Disadvantage? What disadvantage?" asked Nocturne.

"Only physical attacks can damage the emperium," supplied Valkron, not looking up as he measured distances on the map. "The only spell that affects the crystal is Sanctuary, and it just heals. Come to think of it, Vineis has got a disadvantage too."

"Yes, but he's got plenty of battle-hardened mercenary knights and crusaders at his fingers," said Kushana.

"_He's_ battle-hardened," said Nocturne, pointing to Valkron. "And he's pretty good at it, too."

"By 'plenty', Nocturne, she means they've got massive physical backup." Valkron straightened up. "Ow...my back aches. It doesn't mean just one person, like me."

"Ex_cuse_ me, Valkron."

"Oh, sorry. Two people." The knight frowned at Iruna. "Whatever for did you bring that up? It's not even necessary and it won't make a difference."

"I just like not being left out."

Valkron raised his eyebrows but said nothing to this.

"Anyone seen Eni today?" asked Nocturne. The guild responded with a general negative answer.

"I think she's gone to see Aramithar in the Institute of Alchemy," said Kushana. after a minute or so. "She said something about staying overnight there too, so it looks like she won't be coming back tonight."

"_Good._ Iruna, get back to that room."

"What, you don't want me to sleep beside you?"

Valkron sighed. Every night, before they went to bed, they had this argument. And he always lost. But there was such a thing as going down fighting.

"It's not that I don't want you to be there," he said patiently. "We're not married or anything of that sort. I just like to keep it simple and innocent. How's that sound?"

"You're so old-fashioned, Valkron," replied Iruna.

The knight gaped at her. By the look on his face he was unable to recover in time for this one. Iruna put her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

"Can't avoid the love, can you?" said Emeth fondly, looking down at the two of them. "Righty-o. I'm going to bed. See you."

One by one the guild members left the table and went to their rooms. Valkron eventually got Iruna off him and cleared up.

Before he went up to the first floor he went to the bar and got himself a glass of water. As he drank he noticed there was a rogue sitting quite close to the bar. He had a long scar down one cheek and one vertically across his lips. With his cigarette and swept-back, windblown hair he reminded Valkron of a badass ginger tomcat sitting on a roof somewhere.

The knight shrugged and walked off.

* * *

The next morning Valkron had breakfast at the table in the tavern quite early. As he ate he kept his mind blissfully free of anything. Emeth, Iruna, Samaroh, Khan, Amaru and Kushana joined him later.

As they talked cheerfully Valkron finished his breakfast and got ready to leave.

"Well, I'm off to the Chivalry," he said, swinging his armour over his shoulder. "See you tonight."

He turned.

After a few minutes he said, "I'm sorry, but I don't remember asking you to join us."

The rogue from last night was standing with his arms folded across his chest. If Valkron had took one step further he would have walked straight into the man.

"Ah. You must be the cynical Valkron." There was a musical hint to his voice; Valkron's brain immediately supplied him with the fact that the man had grown up in Comodo. "I am glad to meet you. My name is Sheuth."

Valkron raised an eyebrow. "Mercenary?"

"Yes."

"Don't remember. Sorry." The knight stepped to one side, but the rogue blocked him.

"I'm here on my guild leader's orders, Valkron," he said quietly. "He wants to meet you, here and now."

"I don't recall arranging a meeting with another guild leader," said Valkron, as quietly as Sheuth. The others behind him looked apprehensive.

"When he says you have an appointment, Valkron, then you have one." Sheuth's expression did not change. "Do sit, Valkron."

There was something in his voice that warned the knight of impending danger. With a last look at Sheuth Valkron sat down at the table, beside Iruna.

The rogue disappeared for a minute or two, and then came back in. Valkron was about to say something when someone stepped around the screen.

The Raulus guild members stared except Valkron, who chuckled softly.

"And why do I have the honour of meeting you in person, Vineis?"

When the wizard stepped forward the others drew back. Only Valkron and Iruna remained in their seats and not actively trying to move away without being too conspicuous.

"I'm pleased to see that you certainly know your guild leaders," said Vineis.

Valkron viewed him critically. Vineis, like Nocturne, had a ponytail high up on the back of his head. However, his long fringe, parted in the middle, did not have layered, tapering ends; instead the locks looked as if someone had chopped them off. He wore an eyeglass, and somehow looked more like an aristocrat than Emeth did.

His hair was purple.

The wizard smiled a little. "I see you're already surveying me. Well, valkron, I'd like to have a chat with you."

The knight stayed silent. Then he said, "Iruna, would you please get a chair for Vineis? And one for Sheuth, if he wants to sit."

"Sheuth will stand," interrupted Vineis. "My assistants always do."

Valkron said nothing until Vineis had sat down and made himself comfortable. Unlike Emeth's wild, messy behaviour the wizard seemed more...elegant, more educated. When he pushed his cloak out of the way before he sat down he did it with a smooth flick of an arm, not the lazy, half-hearted way Emeth usually did. He crossed his legs and looked at Valkron.

"You are famous in our guild," he said. "Your name is spoken by many. No matter where I go, no matter who I talk to...I will hear your name, sooner or later. It is guaranteed."

_This man is from Morroc_, whispered a voice in Valkron's head. _Be careful. Morrocians can be very friendly like Khan, very reserved like Amaru, or very, very two-faced._

"I see," said the knight stiffly.

Vineis pulled out a piece of velvet cloth from a pocket somewhere and took off his eyeglass. "And I can see you are a man of resource," he continued, polishing the glass. "You have adapted very quickly to the growing popularity of the guilds and the War of Emperium. My men tell me that you are planning to invade a castle."

Valkron glanced at Sheuth, who was standing to attention behind Vineis.

"Oh, don't worry. It is customary for every guild to have its spies," said Vineis, smiling. "A long time ago a guild called the Rising Star Corps used novices for spies, did you know that? Quite an interesting piece of information, I must say, and it makes good entertainment at parties."

"Vineis, I don't mean to be impolite," said Valkron, in a voice that meant exactly the opposite, "but I'd like you to get to the point. I have to go to the Chivalry to resume my duties as a knight commander, and my guild members have jobs to do. Please don't waste my time."

Vineis smiled, or at least showed his teeth. "I understand. I too am a busy man. Well, then we'll get down to business." He leaned forward. "I hear that you, famous as you are, are having some trouble recruiting for your guild. Am I right?"

"Doesn't every other small guild have the same problem?" said Valkron, shrugging.

"Oh yes, they do. _We_ did. But I know how to help you gain more members, win the War of Emperium, dominate the guilds and become one of the most powerful guilds in the kingdo--"

"Vineis, I applaud you on being one of the most clichéd guild leaders of the century," remarked Valkron.

The wizard looked puzzled. "What?"

"Oh, great. See here. You come to me to offer me power, as they say, 'beyond man's greatest dreams'. You offer me what every guild wants to achieve. The problem is, anything that's too good for you is bad. The Black Cross has massive extensions. It has hundreds of people. It's got the small guilds practically bowing and...what's that word? Kow-towing? Yeah, I think so. They're submitting to you. Unfortunately for you, Vineis, when I set up this guild I never intended it to be there just to be strong and win all the time. I have a different purpose with the Raulus guild. So I've considered your offer in what little time I have now and all I can say, pardon my language, is this: to hell with it."

It seemed everyone was holding their breath, even Sheuth. Valkron held his gaze with Vineis, daring him to lose his temper.

Eventually Vineis said, "I see. And that is your final decision?"

"That is my final decision."

"Are you sure? You'll regret it, I can assure you that."

"Regretting my decision to refuse your offer is nothing compared to the regret I would feel after realising that I was living in this world just for the sake of what it has to offer me."

There was silence. Then Vineis sighed. "I see. Your mind is made up then. It was such a good offer, too."

Valkron stayed silent, but his green eyes narrowed.

"Well, I'll be off." The wizard got to his feet and put his eyeglass back on. "Mustn't waste our precious time. Good day to you, Valkron."

He swept out from behind the screen. Sheuth, with one last look behind at the Raulus guild, took off as well, leaving a very silent guild.

After a few minutes of the same silence Nocturne said, "He did give us a chance."

"Me? Accept that kind of offer from a man like him? No thank you. I don't need to make my guild an extension of the Black Cross." Valkron got to his feet. "I'm leaving, I've got work to see to."

When he got to the Chivalry he noticed that several knights were giving him looks. He ignored them and went straight towards the Mercenary Division.

Corporal Inigo stepped straight into his path.

"Good morning, corporal," said the commander, sidestepping around him. He had no wish to talk, let alone argue. It didn't matter to him who belonged to what guild, although he highly suspected that Inigo wasn't happy with him. No one who belonged to the Black Cross would be happy with him, anyway.

The distance between him and Inigo was still not very far when Inigo's voice spoke.

"You'll be getting a little present from us today, sir."

Valkron closed his eyes and snorted, not even pausing in his stride.

* * *

Later that night he came back to the tavern to find the guild sitting or standing rather warily around the table.

"What's up?" he said, yawning. "You look like you've..."

His voice trailed off.

The rest of the guild had looked up at him, and then gone back to staring at the table. He noticed that Aramithar was present this time, and that Eni was clinging close to him. They were all staring very hard at the table.

Which had a little blue box on it, with a blue ribbon neatly tied around it and in a bow at the top.

Inigo's words came to him in an instant. He knew then why his guild was avoiding it. He looked at the ribbon. There was a note attached to it, and it read:

_We will be seeing you again._

_Vineis._

Eventually he said, "Anyone tried to find out what's inside it?"

"We wouldn't like to," answered Nocturne.

"I'm not too keen on knowing what's inside that box," said Khan.

Valkron looked around. Then, very carefully, he reached out for the box.

"Wait!" said Nocturne. "I'll do it. At arm's length. I'll see what's inside it."

"Are you sure, Nocturne?" asked Valkron worriedly.

"Yeah, I'm sure. We've had to deal with dangerous presents anyway. The Hunters' Guild used to be the target of pranks." Nocturne reached out cautiously and picked the box up with the tips of his fingers. Everyone leaned back as he brought it up and examined it.

He shook it, his head to one side as he listened for any sound. When Valkron raised his eyebrows at him he shook his head. Then, very slowly, he tugged the little ribbon off.

The hunter held out the box at arm's length and cautiously reached for the top. He took hold of the top gently and pulled it off.

It was just for a second, though. When he pulled it off he choked and put it back quickly. The little box thudded onto the table as the hunter backed off, coughing.

"What? What's wrong?" asked Eni, getting up. Nocturne had a hand over his nose and he seemed to have difficulty breathing.

"The only time I've ever seen him like this," said Emeth slowly, "is when he's smelled something awful. Eni, get him away. His senses are sharper than most of us; we should be grateful whatever's in there didn't knock him cold."

The alchemist moved her brother off, patting him on the back. Valkron looked back at the box. Something that gave off a ghastly smell was inside it.

Emeth sniffed. "I'm sure there's something around here..."

"What?" said Iruna, looking quizzically at him.

"Nah, it's gone. Never mind."

Valkron reached out and took the box. He took a deep breath and held it. So did everyone else, watching him warily as they did.

The knight, very carefully, pulled the top off once again. He did not look into it, however.

"Smell anything?" he said, with some difficulty.

The others shook their heads.

"Okay then." Valkron brought the box close to him and looked inside.

They jumped when the little blue box hit the floor. It tipped over, and as it did something round bounced out of it with a sticky thump. It rolled a little way away and came to a stop, most likely because of its stickiness.

It was an eyeball, with the optical nerve still attached.

The organ had come to rest not far from them. Its dark green iris stared upwards at the ceiling, glaring at everything even after its owner's death. Although the green was not as brilliant as the deep green of Valkron's eyes nor was it the same shade, it was clear already as to what it signified. The whiteness of it was marred by the yellow stains all over it, and the red thready veins creeping across it.

And the smell was certainly revolting, once people began to run out of breath. It indicated that its owner had died quite some time ago - of what, no one wanted to find out.

Several people made muffled sounds of disgust. Nocturne retched; Samaroh looked as if he was about to throw up.

"That's odd," said Emeth, in a strained voice. "Rotting body parts don't smell that bad. It's dark magic that gives that ghastly stench--"

Valkron, who had been struggling to hold his breath, lost the battle and inhaled.

He promptly fainted.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Before I move on, **Vineis is not evil, and neither is Sheuth**. You won't believe how many people think this.


	8. Reconnaissance

Chapter 8

**Reconnaissance**

"So we're definitely getting around to spying on Repherion today?" asked Eni, watching Valkron look through the map once again.

"Yes. Once and for all, let us get this done." He folded up the map resolutely. "No more putting this off."

"Are you all right now, Valkron?" asked Iruna, quite concernedly. "You could have seen your face when you inhaled that awful smell."

"Don't remind me about it, Iruna," he said. "Just don't. I'm not interested in what that bloody eyeball's got to say. I've taken the day off for this, everyone's not doing anything that's worth their time, and we have _got_ to get this done. No more putting it off. Besides, the hours for the War of Emperium is just two days away."

"True, we don't have much time," agreed Nocturne.

"We need to arm ourselves fully, though," continued the knight. "I know the areas around Geffen are some of the most dreaded places. And with Glast Heim just nearby...well, let's just say we're going to face a hard time. Is everyone ready, then?"

"Geared up and ready," said Eni. Aramithar was standing beside her, looking as amiable as ever. He too had taken a day off, although Valkron had told him it wasn't necessary.

"But this is a guild matter. Surely everyone has to be involved with it?" Aramithar had pointed out.

"Guild matters or no, this is just a simple reconnaissance. Your work's more important than this. If it's a guild war then you have to come. However this is just a case of, if you let me simplify it, 'sneak up and spy'. There is nothing involved in this."

"I'd still like to come, Valkron," the alchemist had said. "I'd like to know how Repherion looks like."

Valkron had given up then. Somehow the quiet, amiable alchemist seemed to have a thing about him the knight couldn't quite put his finger on.

Thus the guild had its full ten members. Valkron, with a bit of asking around, discovered that Nocturne was a trap specialist ("They always overlook the trappers, you know," the young hunter had said with an indignant huff), but Kushana on the other hand was a falcon trainer. She had just whistled, and her falcon had come to her.

He looked around. As Eni said, they were indeed geared up. Nocturne had spent his days in the inn making more arrows; his quiver bristled like a hedgehog. Even if they hadn't had any resources to work with Amaru was always there to help out. The blacksmith was far richer than they thought.

"I never knew you could buy a few emperium crystals with the money you had, Amaru," said Valkron.

The blacksmith shrugged. "Comes of being a battle forger. I gain resources and use them to either sell or forge. And then sell."

"The spirit of the merchant is never far from him," added Khan.

At that point Amaru gave him a look. The assassin replied with an apologetic grin.

Iruna had her blindfold around her neck. "Well? Are we ready to go?"

"Where's that bloody wizard of ours?" demanded the knight, looking around. "I thought I told him to come down here twenty minutes ago!"

"I think he's outside," said Samaroh, idly flipping through a large book the rest hitherto had not seen. It was black and had gilded edges. "He said something about getting to know the current guild situation."

Valkron snorted but did not comment further on this. "Let's get going, then."

They walked out into the sun. It was another new day. The guild had been too overwhelmed by the stench of Vineis' gift that they had spent the rest of the night in their rooms and trying to clear their noses. Aramithar had helped a lot here, as he carried all sorts of salts with him. Many of said salts had a smell that, quite frankly, knocked out the stink of rotting eyeball, but they also knocked out the owners of the noses they cleaned.

Emeth was indeed outside, in Prontera Plaza. He was gazing at something as they approached.

"Look at that, will you?" he said, before anyone managed to open their mouths. "The Black Cross is damn well on a rampage."

They turned to look at what he was looking at. In front of them were five flags, tall and proud. They fluttered in the wind, their beige tassels dancing in the sunlight. On all five of them the emblem of a black cross was clearly displayed.

"They've conquered _all_ the castles of the Valkyrie Realms?" said Eni in disbelief.

"I wouldn't put it past Vineis to go on a rampage," said Nocturne, shrugging. "Not after Valkron turned him down."

"You lot just can't keep your gobs shut, can you?" remarked Valkron sourly. "Any more of this and I swear you're going to feel the metal of my shoe up your rear. Get going."

They made their way out of the Western Gate with some difficulty. Trade was flourishing in Prontera, and now no one could move an inch without seeing a merchant. The number of stalls set up by merchants was staggering as well, and more than once the guild had to pick their way across a number of them. It was that, or get yelled at by the owners.

The city was so noisy that the quietness of the forest initially hurt their ears. They soon adapted to it and made their way to Geffen, talking and arguing amongst themselves.

"Why didn't you bring your peco along, Valkron?" asked Nocturne, as they walked.

"Because this is reconnaissance. I'm not going to be doing anything else."

"But you're slower than the rest of us - maybe considerably slower than Iruna. No offence meant."

"We're just walking. It takes a few hours to get to Geffen. If I rode I'd be there in twenty minutes and you all would be still here."

"Good point," remarked the hunter, a few minutes later.

As Valkron rolled his eyes Kushana caught up with them. "How are we going to spy on Repherion?"

"I intend for both of you," Valkron gestured at Nocturne's back, "to head up into the trees and tell us if the coast is clear. We need to know if any like-minded guilds are around, I don't intend to get laughed at."

"Or our plans found out," agreed Kushana. "Where is it, exactly?"

"Map says Britoniah lies southwest of Geffen."

It took them some time, but they arrived in Geffen in the early afternoon. After having lunch they mingled with the crowd. It had to be done, because Emeth was someone who could not help standing out of the crowd, and he was already standing out of it anyway.

One by one they slipped away to the south gate. Emeth was the last one to join them. They waited for him to catch his breath before moving on.

"Playing tag with girls again, Emeth?" asked Iruna smugly.

The wizard gave her a look. "Oi."

"What?" said Kushana, looking puzzled. "Emeth plays tag with girls?"

Amidst the sniggering from various members of the guild, Iruna sighed. "He's so handsome that girls can't leave him alone."

"Ah. I see." The huntress looked at Emeth, who was turning red quite gradually and not looking at anyone.

"It's a popular pastime of his, although frankly I can't say it's a pastime anyone else would enjoy," continued Iruna, grinning.

"Stow it, Iruna," said Valkron. "Emeth's getting as red as his clothes. Give him some dignity, will you?"

They continued the journey while avoiding the topic. Emeth did not talk again until they reached an overhanging cliff rimmed with trees.

"Right. We'll have to push through the undergrowth to see Britoniah. Not get to it, mind you." Valkron shoved his way in and the rest followed.

It was a tough fight, but at last they got to the edge of the cliff.

Eni gasped in surprise. "Wow, it's beautiful!"

Down below was a great river, sparkling in the afternoon sunlight. The water was blue and clear, so clear they could see the bottom from where they were. Where the river branched out as it snaked through the forests there was a little junction, with an island in the centre of it.

There were five castles all right. They appeared as grey structures, but anyone could see that these castles were built to last. There were two right below the cliff, one on the island and the other two on the opposite banks. Long bridges connected the three pieces of land.

After a while Samaroh said, "So which one is Repherion?"

Valkron looked down. "That one."

They all looked down.

"It's not the first castle you come to when you enter Britoniah?" said Iruna, with some surprise.

"No. The castle next to it is Merseitzdeitz. I didn't want to invade it at this point, seeing as it's the closest to where all guilds would enter. The one on the island is Eyorbriggar. Across the bridge on the opposite banks you'll come to Yesnelph and then Bergel."

"Can't wait to get down there," said Eni.

"Then what are you waiting for?" Valkron turned back. "COme on."

They made their way down and were soon standing at the edge of the forest and the entrance into Britoniah. And just as Adiemus had said, there were creatures roaming the area. Aggressive ones.

"Right, we've got to be careful here," said Valkron. "I don't think any of us intend to have uninvited guests around us as we explore. Kushana, Nocturne, go along and see if the way to Repherion is clear."

"Which one's Repherion again?" asked the hunter, scratching his head. "There's this grand castle here and another one there."

"The second one, come on. You saw it from the cliff. Go!"

They hid in the bushes as the two hunters sprinted off, Kushana's falcon flying ahead of them.

It was quite some time before they came back, breathless from running.

"Is it safe?" asked Valkron, without looking up.

"It's fine," said Nocturne brightly.

'Yes, after he set a whole lot of traps up at the gates of Repherion," said Kushana, giving him a look. "The explosions were amazing. But it's fine now, and I think there's no one around in Britoniah at all."

"This is a beautiful place indeed," said Iruna, as they headed towards Repherion. "What would I give to wake up to this kind of scenery, with the birds singing in the trees?"

"Well, once it's ours you can have all that," said the knight. "But we'll just deal with the problem of getting it first, how's that sound?"

As they neared the gates of Repherion - grand iron-wrought affairs with gilded spikes - Kushana said, "By the way, when we were around the castle we heard strange sounds from it."

"What kind of strange sounds?" said Valkron, raising his eyebrows.

"I don't know. It sounded like metal...shoes. Except much bigger. Just clomping around."

Valkron thought about this. "I can't recall what kind of monster makes such a noise," he said at last. "We'll see when we get in. Oh, and get your weapons ready."

The gates swung open easily and without a creak. Valkron remembered from the books he had read about the War of Emperium that the unoccupied guild castles were maintained by the kingdom until they were occupied. And before the War of Emperium began the officers would lock the gates down to make invading even more difficult.

They went up to the great bronze doors of Repherion. With some huffing and arguing they got one door open and went in.

The first thing they saw was the great hallway. Lined with pillars of stone it towered high above them. Glass skylights let the sunlight in, creating rays full of glittering dust motes. Their shoes echoed loudly on the smooth floor as they walked further in, gazing around in awe.

After a few minutes or so, Valkron, who had stopped to refer to the map he had taken with him, said, "Well, this castle is amazing."

"Of course it is, Valkron," said Eni indignantly. "It's magnificent!"

"Well, you could certainly say that," said the knight carefully. "But if this was during the War...let's just say you'd probably be dead."

At this they looked at him.

Valkron sighed. "Look up there, near the glass skylight. You can see a tower there. Here on the map it's labelled as sniper area."

"Which means?" said Eni.

"Oh."

"What?" said several people, looking at Iruna.

"If you open the skylights during the war - which I think you have to - archers and hunters can fire at anyone coming in." Iruna looked up. "That's deadly."

"I'm not surprised," said Valkron, folding up his map. "Most of the other castles have such areas, too. Makes it even harder, don't you think?"

"To what?" said Iruna.

"To gain entry into a castle--"

There was a shriek. Valkron whipped around to see Eni backing off, staring up. She was pointing as well, her hand trembling so hard it was a blur. Aramithar caught her and put his hands on her shoulders.

There was..._something_ standing there. Valkron clapped his hands to his sword, not taking his eyes of it. Sounds of metal against metal and bowstrings being pulled behind him indicated the others were getting ready to defend.

What looked like a massive suit of armour stood before them. It was at least twenty feet high, and, insofar as anyone could tell, was not held together by anything. The helmet was empty and the shoulder armour hovered above empty air. It was holding a sword so long Valkron was sure it could sweep all of them off their feet if he cared to test.

It did not seem to have noticed them. It was just standing there, its empty helmet turning about slowly. At length it lifted a great iron-clad foot and set off towards the guild like a giant knight.

Valkron pulled his sword out halfway from his scabbard, still watching the set of animate armour warily.

"Hold it, Valkron."

It was Aramithar. The knight looked at him in surprise.

"What is it?"

"It won't hurt us." The alchemist looked over his shoulder. Eni was huddled into his chest. "They attack only during the War of Emperium."

"What _are_ they?" said Samaroh, lowering his open book.

Aramithar chuckled. "They're just the castle's guardians, that's all. There should be three types around here - the archer, the soldier and the master. This is just a soldier, and all it's doing is walking around the castle floor it was assigned to. We don't have any reason to fear them - well, not now."

The guild relaxed as the guardian stomped past them, its empty helmet facing ahead. They watched it go.

"I see a few up on the sniper area, too," said Iruna, looking up. "They look different."

"Archers aren't as heavily armoured as soldiers or masters," said Aramithar. "And they can't walk properly, either. They have hind legs like a peco's. I guess it's a price to pay for the large bows they carry, that's all."

"You know a lot about these guardians," said Emeth.

Aramithar shrugged. "The Institute of Alchemistry was the one that brought up the idea of massive suits of armour imbued with magic. Together with Juno's Research Institute they built the guardians. It was the sages who gave the armour life. Then they just placed them in the castles. That's what I was told when I first saw one in the making."

"They scare me, though," said Eni.

"There's nothing to worry about," replied Aramithar, hugging her. "They'll fight during the war, but not now."

Valkron saw Emeth watching the two. There was a strange look on his face - something similar to a mixture of sadness and jealousy. He sighed. The wizard would have to find his own way if he wanted to know how it felt to be loved.

They continued to walk through the ground floor, commenting on the architecture. Occasionally they would meet a soldier guardian coming down the opposite way; once they encountered an archer guardian. As Aramithar had said, the archer walked clumsily. It was supposed to have been based on the soldier, but something had gone wrong during the calculations and guardians with peco legs had been massed produced instead.

Portals were the only way into the upper floors, as they found out. They took one to the second floor, where they met even more soldier guardians patrolling the area. Here they got lost due to the number of portals that, coincidentally, did not lead to the next floor but to the sniper areas instead. Valkron spent a rather harried time finding them before bringing them to the next floor.

The third floor had considerably less soldier guardians. However they came across a guardian that was ten feet taller than a soldier and had real plumes in its helmet instead of the metal spikes the soldiers had.

"Master guardian," said Aramithar, as they watched it walk past. "They're tough to battle. Thankfully there's less of them in each castle compared to the soldiers."

"But there are more on the upper floors?" asked Iruna.

"Definitely."

The third floor was also straightforward. In no time at all thhey were on the fourth.

"Says here the emperium of the castle is always on the fourth floor," said Valkron, reading the notes at the side of the map. "During times of war the crystal will not be revaled until all the monsters in the room - usually boss - are defeated."

"You've got to be kidding me," said Samaroh darkly. "Ten of us against a multitude of bosses? We'll be dead before you know it."

"That's where you come in, mate," said Emeth, nudging him. "I've never seen a priest do a mass heal before. Till you came in."

"But still."

"He's got a point," said Iruna thoughtfully. "How can we, just ten of us, go against a heck load of monsters and guardians? We'll have to take it slow."

"That's why we're reconnoitring now," said Valkron. "We'll probably need to run through the castle when it starts and get to the room immediately. It should be around here."

They looked around. The room had angular dips in it, and seemed quite easy to remember. The most obvious feature was the apparently empty pedestal in the centre of the room.

"So...shall we call it a day?" said Valkron.

* * *

They spent the night at the Gatekeeper Inn in Geffen. Valkron listened amusedly to a young boy's story of how Emeth got his headset after finding out he had absolutely no money to buy the items required, while the others milled around. The inn let them stay for the night graciously enough.

"I'm wondering how do we prepare for this war...thing," said Samaroh. "It _looks_ easy, it _sounds_ easy, but I doubt it's easy. There's got to be a side to it we don't know."

"Actually there's a lot more to the War of Emperium than you think," said Valkron. "For example, you won't be able to teleport anywhere. Not even if you have a clip with a creamy card in it."

There was silence. Then Samaroh said, "_What? No teleport?_"

"You suffering from delayed shock or what?" asked Valkron.

"But - but that's outrageous!"

"It makes the war fair," said Valkron, shrugging. "The castles were built with inexhaustible spells in their walls to even out the battles. Techniques which knock back their target as well as injure them have had the knock back effect removed. Hunters and wizards don't injure as much as they can in normal situations--"

_"What?"_ said Emeth and Nocturne.

"--and the phen and golden thief bug cards don't work," continued Valkron, as if no one had spoken. "There are a number of strategies, however, that can be used to maximise output, and I myself follow quite a few."

"You never told us," said Eni, in an accusatory tone.

"No, why should I? Every good knight has his - or her - secrets." Valkron had added that in when he saw Iruna gazing at him. "And I'll be working with both spear and sword, so don't ever bother me during the war or I might kill you. I'm being serious."

"No one can forget that massive scythe you use," said Samaroh. "Ever."

"Wait, hang on right there," said Nocturne, drawing up his chair. "You said that hunters and wizards don't injure as much, right?"

"About half, actually," said Valkron.

"Okay, half, whatever. Then what's the point of us being in the war?"

Valkron chuckled a little at Nocturne's expression. "You know, I was thinking of you asking that question. There's a little secret that I've been using - well, it's not much of a secret, but the effectiveness of it depends on how you manage it."

The knight, very casually, crossed his legs and looked down at his shoes. Everyone followed suit.

After a few minutes, Iruna said, "Is it me or do your shoes have some kind of imbued element in it?"

"Imbued yes, element no. What you're looking at is a piece of equipment fortified with cards." valkron flicked out something rectangular. "This one."

They took a close look at it.

"Isn't that a martyr?" said Emeth, a few minutes later.

"Yes it is. Odin knows how long it took me to get one." valkron rolled his eyes. "I'm not spending my money on buying them. People raise the prices so much that I'd probably go broke, but then again at least it's quicker than hunting for half a week."

"And how is that supposed to help us?" said Nocturne.

Valkron gave him a look. "According to veterans - more specifically Adiemus - hunters that enter the castles are trappers."

"Really?"

"Yes. But if you really want to go and torture people I suggest you get a bow that has four card slots in it." The knight grinned. "I may have something for you that will in fact make you as overpowered as anyone else. I've seen it done before and I don't doubt it. Just do what I say."

"I still think it's going to be one heck of a fight, what with everyone tussling for the crystal," said Samaroh.

"Don't be so pessimistic," said the knight calmly. "Ranged attacks and spells don't do a thing to the crystal."

_What?"_

"There goes Emeth again," said Valkron, sighing. "Will you just _listen_? Hunters can only damage the crystal if they punch it, so forget it. You'd probably break your fingers. As for wizards...well..."

"We can't affect the emperium _and_ do half the damage we usually do," said the wizard in disgust. "Well, it seems that I'm just one unlucky guy, eh?"

"There _is_ one spell that can affect the crystal."

"Which one?" The wizard had sat up.

Valkron didn't speak for a few minutes, mainly because he was trying not to laugh. When he did speak, he said, "Sanctuary."

"Oh, this downright sucks."

"Look, everyone," said the knight, the corner of his mouth twitching, "we're lucky because we're not going to fight for a castle that's already been taken. We're going to take over an unoccupied castle. Just do what I say, and it'll be fine. It'll be easier than invasion, I can tell you that. Now let's get to bed. We've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow."


	9. Preparations

Chapter 9

**Preparations**

"So what am I supposed to get, other than a bow with four card slots?" said Nocturne, as Valkron harried him out of the Gatekeeper Inn early next morning. "As a trapper I don't use my bow much."

"Well, now you'll have to. Don't tell me you don't." Valkron pushed him towards the Kafra girl watching them with a puzzled look on her face. "Sorry about this."

"May I help you?" said the girl.

"Yes. I'd like to withdraw something from my storage."

"Please wait a minute." The girl pulled out a large book from her apron. "Could you please tell me your password?"

Nocturne respectfully stepped backward. Valkron gave it, and the girl flipped through the book.

"Ah, yes, here we are," she said. "What would you like?"

"These four."

The girl promptly shut the book and turned around. There was a small box next to her with a small notepad and a quill attached to the top. She tore off one sheet, wrote on it and opened the box and put it inside.

"The office will be receiving your request shortly."

Valkron had never managed to figure out the magic that lay behind Kafra Corporation. Other than a very skilled mastery of teleportation he had absolutely no other guess as to what made the gears run behind the company.

After a few minutes the girl opened the box.

"Here you go. Thank you for using the Kafra Storage Service. Would you like to request for any other service?" she said, as she gave him whatever was inside.

"No. No, thank you. That should be quite enough."

"You're welcome."

The knight joined Nocturne. 'All right. This should do the trick."

In the knight's gloved hand lay four magnolia cards, all identical.

"What's the theory behind this?" asked the hunter, looking at them.

"They have the power to curse those who are hit," answered Valkron.

"Why four?"

"Because four will give you an edge. Which you undoubtedly need, Nocturne, because you don't have one."

Nocturne took the four cards. "Right. And I just slot them in?"

"Well, if you just 'slot them in', as you said, do keep in mind that you will never get them back again."

The hunter stayed quiet. Then he said, "I think I'll bring in a better bow and put it aside for these occasions."

"You do that, Nocturne," said Valkron kindly.

* * *

Surprisingly Valkron had not forgotten Kushana. He had originally forgotten about her, but these days every time he saw Emeth he was reminded forcefully of her for some reason. Eventually he went out for a short while and came back with another four cards.

"Surely there must be some way to pay you back for these," said Kushana, looking at them.

"No, don't pay me back. Just don't. I've got a lot of money, I don't need more." Valkron sat down on a chair in the inn. "But I still have other matters to address. Amaru?"

"Yes?" said the blacksmith, who was polishing a sword nearby.

"You'll need to stock up."

"I figured pretty much," answered Amaru, lowering the sword. "Do you think white potions are enough?"

Valkron thought over this. "Um...maybe not. Can you find Yggdrasil seeds and berries for cheap?"

"Haha. No."

"Right. We'll stick to the white pots then, I don't have any clue about better alternatives besides the seeds and berries." Valkron bit his lower lip.

'What about you, Valkron?" said Iruna.

"Me? What about me?"

"Are you going to bring in that scythe of yours?" said Samaroh shrewdly.

"No, why? It may be good but unfortunately it doesn't serve any purpose in the war. No, I'm bringing in a pike."

"A pike doesn't sound like you," said Khan. He was leaning back in his chair with his shoes on the table, sakkhat off and mask unfastened. An assassin could lounge _anywhere_ - Valkron wouldn't put it past them to not lounge on electric wires.

"Yes, but if it gives me an advantage I'll use it. Just to add - fire-imbued weapons work wonders against the crystal as well."

"How'd you know all these things?" asked Eni.

"I had a long talk with Adiemus a few days ago. He ranted quite a lot."

"And he told you _everything_?"

"Let's just say they're really desperate to get rid of the Black Cross. Which I think they are, actually." Valkron sighed. 'So is Apocalypse Ultima. Does anyone know who's the leader, by the way?"

A lot of people shook their heads, but it was Kushana who answered. "He's a priest - a battle priest."

Valkron lifted his eyebrows. "Now, that's a priest you need to be scared of."

"Yes indeed," agreed the huntress. "I don't know his name - well, not many people do - but it's said that he's one of the most powerful in the kingdom. To have him as an acquaintance is like having a friend for life."

"To have him as an enemy?" asked Iruna.

"Uh...I don't think he ever thinks of anyone as his enemy, really," replied Kushana, rubbing her cheek thoughtfully. "He's a priest, after all."

"And how did you get to know about him?" asked Khan.

Kushana pointed. Everyone turned, as one, to Samaroh.

"What?" said the priest.

"I didn't meet him face to face, but my little brother here," she gave him a cheeky grin at his expression, "pointed him out to me."

"Do _you_ know his name?" asked Nocturne.

"No, I don't," replied the priest sullenly. "Although the Church is a small world you can't expect to know everyone by name. Besides, the leader of Apocalypse Ultima only gives his name to people he believes worthy of knowing it. He values knowledge and friendship very highly."

"Sounds like a wise man to me," said Valkron. "As in seriously wise."

Kushana shrugged. "I have no idea about that. When I saw him I didn't believe he was the leader."

"Why?"

"He looked vague and was constantly smiling."

"You mean, compared to leaders like Adiemus and Vineis?" asked Valkron. "Not looking competitive?"

"I don't think he likes _looking _like something," said Samaroh. "He likes _being_ it more. He's the kind of person who hides a lot of his abilities in the face of strangers, and maybe even his friends as well."

"You sound like you know a lot about him even though you don't know him," said Nocturne, looking interestedly at the priest.

At this Samaroh did not answer. Kushana leaned on him, smiling. "Should I tell them?"

"Whatever."

The huntress turned back to the watching guild. "Samaroh idolizes the leader of Apocalypse Ultima. And not just idolize - he wants to be better than him."

Everyone looked at Samaroh, whose face was reddening. Then they turned back to Kushana, who was smiling brightly. Valkron observed that Emeth did not look straight at the huntress - he gazed at a fixed point above her head. Whenever she spoke he was the only one who did not talk.

'Well, isn't that good?" said Iruna softly. "People who want to be better all the time achieve what they want, in the end. Don't look at me like that, Samaroh - I can prove it. There's one man among us who's done it."

Valkron yawned as everyone started to mutter between themselves. It had been a long day for him. When he had not been lecturing about the War of Emperium he had been out preparing for it, going from shop to shop looking for the best deals. It had taken him a long time to get what he had wanted, but Valkron had never got anywhere by being impatient.

"You can very well say that," said Samaroh, "but the point is that I'm racing against time. I can't learn new things as fast as I could when I was younger, and now I have to learn a lot of new things."

"Don't we all have to, eventually?" said Iruna. She leaned forward. "You're not the only one."

Kushana sighed. "He's been under a lot of pressure about becoming an exorcist ever since he took up the job of the acolyte. That's a long time, considering it's been over ten, no, fifteen years. Leave him be."

"Take your time, Samaroh," said Khan. "You'll learn. It take longer, but you'll get there."

The priest snorted, but did not reply.

"There really is a man here who's improved?" Kushana asked Iruna, meanwhile.

"Well, yes there is," answered the crusader. "And interestingly he's older than your kid brother there. So you see, if you work for what you want, you'll get it."

"Who is it?"

Iruna laughed a little. "He's asleep behind me."

They turned to look at Valkron, who had indeed fallen asleep.

* * *

While the little guild discussed, argued and eventually went to bed, there was a soiree in the palace. It consisted of just the leaders of the top ten guilds, their allies, their relatives, the king's advisors and the king himself.

Adiemus, wearing a set of armour that did not look as if it was built for war, weaved his way through the crowd. He was a moderate drinker, but at the rate of his wine glass being filled he would have probably got drunk a long time ago if he hadn't stopped himself. His daughter was somewhere else; he hoped that she was fine. As a single parent he had the right to worry about her.

He set the glass down - firmly - on the table and leaned tiredly against it, causing it to creak rather alarmingly. He did not care. In his personal opinion, guild leaders did not indulge themselves unless they had good reason to. Of course, leading a successful guild was a good reason, but he disliked resting on his laurels.

After a while someone came and put his wine glass down - also rather firmly, and a bit harder than expected - and leaned on the table to watch the leaders move around in little circles.

"Bored, Adiemus?" he said.

The crusader looked into the face of a priest with long white hair. "Believe me, 'bored' is an understatement."

The priest laughed. He had a thin, clever face, but it was spoiled by a perpetually amiable and vague expression. He did not seem to be anyone impressive - that is, before you noticed he had a holy cross mace hanging from his belt that didn't seem so innocent.

"Looks as if everyone's taking their victories and losses rather well," he said, waving a slender, pale hand at the crowd. "Too bad the El Midor is no longer sharing such privileges with us."

"You call this a privilege?" said Adiemus, with some disgust.

"I wasn't referring to this."

"Hello, brothers," said a rogue, joining them at the table. "Enjoying yourselves?"

"What does it look like to you, Raven?" asked Adiemus.

The rogue shrugged. "May I join you?"

"Go ahead."

The three leaders leaned against the table, neither drinking nor eating, watching fellow leaders mill around. Adiemus noticed that Raven didn't seem too keen on doing what their fellow leaders were doing, either.

"Not enjoying it, Raven?" he asked.

The leader of the Defenders of Prontera shrugged. "Me? Enjoy? What's there to enjoy when you've got all your castles taken and none left to your name?"

Adiemus understood. Raven, a veteran mercenary rogue who had spent so much time on the frontlines he had numerous scars all over his body and face as a result and had stories for every one, had been in charge of the Valkyrie Realms until recently. There had been a reason why they were called Defenders of Prontera, after all.

The Black Cross had most likely stripped them of that honour.

"Half my guild is so dispirited that they're talking about leaving," continued Raven dully. "The other half is running about like pickies with their heads cut off. I'm in a dilemma here, we've lost one hundred points of guild economy, we're getting blackmailed...I tell you, what could possibly get worse?"

"Disappearing like the El Midor," said the priest, who was standing between them.

Adiemus gave him a look, a look he was sure the priest deliberately ignored. Then he said, "Relax, Raven. The Black Cross will eventually have to stand down one day. Even if it doesn't want to another guild will come along one day and shove it off. It's happening to us."

"Hah. I'd shake the hand of the guild leader who does it," said Raven.

The crowd in front of them parted just then, and Vineis walked through the gap. He smiled politely at the three guild leaders standing by the table and carefully refilled his glass.

"So, gentlemen...enjoying the party?" he asked, swirling the glass gracefully by the stem. "I must say, the food is superb."

"Whatever you say, Vineis," said Adiemus. Raven was certainly in no mood to talk to the leader who had just stripped him of his honour, and the priest had made it a point that Vineis was not one of the people he would talk to ever again unless forced by, say, radical surgery.

"My, my, do I sense a hint of touchiness?" said the wizard. "I'm surprised, Adiemus, I thought you would be used to this."

"I have no idea what you're _attempting_ to _imply_," said Adiemus.

"You're the breadwinner of a very old royal family, is what I'm saying," said the wizard, who appeared not to have noticed the seething sarcasm the crusader had put into those words. "I'm sure you've had parties like this, long before."

Adiemus said nothing. The truth was that he had never found any reason to go to any of said parties until now. The king had invited them, and it was considered rude to turn down the king's invitation.

"I must say, living at the top is quite enjoyable, don't you think?" continued Vineis, before taking a delicate sip from his glass.

_For someone who conquers by brute force and conquers just because other people are doing it you're quite bold to say that_, thought the crusader. _You and your disgustingly gentlemanly ways, hiding that slimy personality of yours. Pretending to be an aristocrat is worse than being one, you fool, can't you see that?_

But his subconscious was nudging his brain. As soon as the thoughts had passed, it said, _Don't you think he's being rather stiff for someone who's trying to make light conversation? As in he doesn't seem too happy about something?_

It seemed so. Adiemus knew enough about Vineis to know when the man wasn't having things going his way. There was a tic on his cheek, for example, that started twitching if he was upset. The rather fidgety movements of the wizard also showed he was agitated.

"Well, living at the top has its benefits," remarked the crusader casually. "But sometimes you don't always get what you want."

There. He'd said it. And it seemed to have hit the spot. Vineis had jerked a little when Adiemus had spoken, and behind the perpetual eyeglass his eyes had widened. As Adiemus smirked internally he felt a little twist of disgust at the same time. Vineis' eyes were not particularly good things to look at, and one of his pupils was slightly larger than the other.

"Live and let live, I always say, " continued the crusader, nodding benignly.

Vineis stared at the wall behind Adiemus. Then he abruptly turned, cloak swishing out behind him, and disappeared into the crowd without any further word.

Adiemus smiled. It felt good to know that you were right.

* * *

In a little room just leading off the larger room with the party in it, Vineis sat down in the armchair and tried to put his glass down on the little table next to him. He was trembling so badly that Sheuth, always with Vineis whatever the occasion, had to take it from him before he dropped it.

"It'd be better if you just relax," said the rogue quietly. "Forget what Adiemus said."

"I'll be damned if I can forget what that crusader spoke about," replied the wizard, trembling with rage. "It was as if he knew what had happened!"

"Calm down," said Sheuth flatly. "Being angry never did anyone good."

Vineis closed his eyes and relaxed considerably. "I swear Valkron and Adiemus are playing me around. One turns such a great offer down and the other talks about it! Aren't there enough people in the world for headaches to go to? They can't just target me!"

"I'd just forget about it for now," said Sheuth. "Look on the bright side. Raven did not want to talk. He's far too ashamed and too envious to say anything to you."

The wizard closed his eyes. "True."

"Now, why don't you just sit back and relax? No one's talking here, it's warm and dark and you've had a long day. Don't think about Adiemus and Valkron. Think about how you snatched Kriemhild from under the very noses of the Defenders! It is a sweet victory that should be remembered."

"It seems very likely so," murmured Vineis.

Sheuth withdrew into the shadows silently. Then, when he was sure he was out of the ring of firelight he felt around in the dark and found a long sleeve.

"Make sure he is well rested," he said to the person in the dark. "As you have always done before, use your magic and your book to calm him down. It will not do him good to remain angry."

"I will see to it." The voice in the darkness was cold and haughty - almost similar to that of Vineis'. There was a swish of cloth, and a silhouette appeared behind the armchair. The silhouette of a priest.

Sheuth watched. Not much was to be seen of the priest from behind, except that he stood with a straight back and that he had shoulder-length straight hair. But as soon as the priest opened his book Sheuth went, out of the room and into the silent, deserted passageways of the castle.

He made his way down and out of the castle, a silent rogue that no one dared disturbed. The guards respectfully stepped aside as he exited.

Sheuth observed the city nightlife from the shadows of the castle for the rest of the night. If anyone had stood with him they would have heard him say, over and over, to himself, "I must not let Vineis get angry. I must not let Vineis feel anger. He must not know what it feels to be angry. Anger is a dark, uncontrollable weapon that can kill."

* * *

Valkron woke up fairly early next morning to find himself in a comfortable bed. Behind him, as usual, was Iruna. He turned over and propped himself up with his arm to watch her sleep, still half asleep himself.

When he got out of bed and washed his face, he suddenly realized that there was a palpable feeling of excitement. He frowned a little and went to the window.

Nothing was happening out in the city. People were going about their business as usual. Valkron was mystified. Why did he feel excited? Moreover, it was the kind of excitement he felt when adrenalin was preparing him for his usual fight-or-flight situation.

What was there to fight for? They weren't going a dungeon raid, were they? Valkron had spent some time with his guild on dungeon raids, when they had nothing to do, but somehow the excitement that was welling up in him was unlike anything he had ever felt in his life. He faced the dungeons with a rather flat, dull feeling anyway - he did not brag, but he had the ability - and did so, once or twice - to wipe out entire floors of most dungeons they had come to.

He stood in the middle of the room, trying to figure it out, when all of a sudden it hit him. After a few minutes he smiled.

That day the members of the Raulus guild began their new lives with Valkron hammering on their doors and yelling at them to get up. When Emeth had answered the door and was still scratching his head awkwardly and messing up his hair while asking, "Why do we have to get up now?" he was promptly answered with one sentence that woke him - and the others - up instantly.

"Today is _our_ War of Emperium!"

It was later generally agreed that those were the best starting words ever uttered.

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I originally intended Vineis to be just the usual bad villain and Sheuth to be his henchman/right hand man/whatever, but it appears that Sheuth and Vineis aren't what they seem to be...


	10. Operation Repherion

Chapter 10

**Operation Repherion**

The excitement in the air was palpable. Although the Geffenese did not seem too keen Valkron knew that in Greenwood Lake, Luina and the Valkyrie Realms hundreds of the King's mercenary guilds were gathering, preparing for the two-hour struggle for the crowning glory that put the little cherry on the top of the cake.

He didn't feel too confident about himself, but it was mainly due to his experience. Many times he had seen a lot of things happen and the tide of a battle turn within half an hour. In the space of two hours a lot more could happen.

Valkron rubbed the beak of his peco. The previous night he had gone back to Prontera and got Iruna's and his pecos to Geffen. The battle-hardened birds were chomping on their bits and pawing the ground with their talons. He knew they could feel the excitement in the air.

"Any other guild around?" he said furtively to Iruna.

"Can't see, as far as I know," replied the crusader, lifting up a corner of her blindfold and standing on her toes to see above people's heads. "Don't worry. None of the big guilds want to spend their time getting mobbed my Geffen's monsters. I hear there's been an increase in kobold numbers around the city."

"You _had_ to tell me that, did you?" said Valkron dryly. "Oh, well, never mind. Hopefully they don't know we're going to invade their territory until much later. Hah."

"Britoniah is good for novices to train, though," said Emeth coming up from behind. "We can help them in the fields if we get the castles."

"You want to help the novices?"

"Why not? The kingdom lacks good, loyal warriors." Emeth looked at the civilians milling around. "They don't seem to know that Britoniah is getting invaded today."

"I don't think half the people here know that there is a place called Britoniah southwest of Geffen, Emeth," remarked Valkron.

"Some do. Blizzardriss, for example. He told me Britoniah was the part of Geffenia that didn't collapse underground. He was pretty well informed on its history."

"As representative of the Geffen Magic Academy I don't think any smart person would be ignorant for long," said Iruna. "He's got a reason to."

"I guess we're all ready now," said Samaroh, coming up to them. "Got all my magic ready."

"I didn't say you'd not be ready-- ye gods, what _is_ that black book you keep carrying around?"

"This?" The priest held up the thick, large black tome with its silvered corners. "It's a book on exorcism. Why?"

"Just out of curiosity," said Iruna, as Eni, Nocturne, Aramithar, Khan, Amaru and Kushana arrived, "why do you carry books _about_ a certain topic, instead of carrying a book of spells? I've been wondering about it for some time. Wouldn't it be easier to cast spells with a book full of spells?"

"It's training," said the priest simply. "What we do is use the power of the _words_, not the topic. The best books for exorcism and healing are naturally those of a religious nature, but a book like this," he indicated the black book, "has even more power for exorcism. It's rubbish for healing, obviously, but exorcism is what I need right now."

"Wait, you're saying that you use the words?" said Emeth. "As in you focus your thoughts on the words in the book and change them so that you use them to your advantage and turn them into a weapon?"

The priest nodded. "How'd you know?"

"We've got a new subject in the Academy," replied the wizard. "It's called methodology. We study the methods and magic used over the years and the eras, observing the trends and the changes, and it's for priests, sages and wizards. Your method is something called...let me think...the unseen weapon."

Valkron couldn't help laughing at Samaroh's expression.

"It's a good weapon, I grant you that," added Emeth quickly. "That way you don't have to sing your spells, right? So your opponent won't know what you're about to cast on him."

"Don't _you_ do it all the time?" said Samaroh, still with the same expression on his face. Valkron had turned his back on them.

"We say it in the head," said the wizard. "You twist any words around and fit them into the spell you want to use. Every spell turns out different, and yet with the normal, usual effects of every priestly spell. Anyone who can read minds would be hard put to know what you're trying to do; _we'll_ just get found out anyway."

"Ah."

"Right," said the knight, turning back. "Let's go to Britoniah and get to the castle. We'll wait outside the gates. Come on!"

With a clatter they made their way to Britoniah, but it was not smooth. They encountered kobolds and goblins, and had to fight off a particularly annoying goblin king who had the idea that the guild was there to have fun. After clearing the crowd they hurried, slightly panicking, towards the castles.

"What time is it, Samaroh?" shouted Valkron, as his peco thumped alongside the running party.

The priest pulled out his pocket watch. "Ten minutes to two!"

That was the time of the War of Emperium throughout the kingdom. Valkron swore under his breath and urged his peco on. Both he and Iruna were creating a loud jingling sound as they sped through the forest, but right now sound was not the matter. They had to get past Merseitzdeitz before they could get to Repherion, and Britoniah was filling up with monsters faster than they could hack them down. Valkron couldn't help wondering if the guild liaison officers were herding them into Britoniah.

They reached the edge of the forest. Next to them the grey walls of Merseitzdeitz towered above them. Not far off the castle of Repherion stood tall and proud, its unlabelled flags fluttering in the wind high up on its towers and in front of the gates.

The guild broke to their heels. Valkron and Iruna had soon overtaken the others and were galloping at full speed towards the gates. They were not going to stop - it had been agreed that both riders were to crash through the locked gates. Fixing them would come later.

Suddenly great beasts lumbered into the riders' paths. The pecos honked in fear and skidded. Iruna was thrown off hers; Valkron was nearly flung off, but held on for dear life as his peco nearly lost its balance.

"Whoa, Evlor!" he shouted, scrambling back on.

There was the sound of soft shoes running behind him. Then there was slight pressure on his shoulder, just for a moment, before Khan descended and gave the orc a stinging kick that sent it flying.

Valkron steadied his peco. It was a group of orc raiders, grunting as they took stock of the ten guild members. Damn. They had to fight past these orcs to get through to Repherion.

There was no time.

"Valkron! Don't move!"

The knight yanked hard on his peco's reins. Evlor stumbled a little, and then stood perfectly still as the orcs lumbered towards it, flourishing their axes. It seemed that the orcs had assumed these two-legged, pale-skinned creatures were invading their territory--

There were explosions. Valkron shut his eyes as light flashed brightly in the area. When the sound had died and the smoke faded away the orcs were either running off or lumbering around blindly, pawing at their eyes.

"Thank you, Nocturne," said the knight breathlessly. "You okay, Iruna?"

"I'm fine," said the crusader, who had managed to mount her peco. "Just a few bruises that I won't forget about for the next few days."

"Hopefully we're not going to get more with these gates," said Valkron, gritting his teeth. "Samaroh!"

"Two minutes!"

Two minutes to reach Repherion. Unfortunately they were still far from it.

"Iruna!" shouted the knight. "We'll go first, full speed!"

"Got that!"

Valkron dug his heels into his peco's sides. The great bird honked and set off, its two taloned feet throwing up great clods of earth as it charged. He bent low, holding on tight with his knees. Beside him Iruna raced neck to neck.

When the two birds hit the gates they were just orange blurs. Valkron felt his breath jolt out of him as the shock went through both bird and rider, and he was _sure_ something on one of the gates had snapped.

But what mattered now was that they were through.

Just as Valkron veered his peco around, slightly out of breath, he heard the great horns being blown. Before this he had heard them being blown in Prontera, but now he did care about what happened after that. The sound of the horns meant that the War of Emperium had officially begun.

"Come on!" he shouted at the rest of the guild. "We have two hours!"

* * *

In the Valkyrie Realms Adiemus stood back and pulled on his pipe. Beside him the priest and Raven watched.

Finally the priest said, "This is the first time I've ever seen something like this happening."

"Same here," said Raven, nodding.

"What, ten guilds struggling to claim Swanhild from the Black Cross at once?" said Adiemus. "Well, this is my first time too, but I doubt it'll be my last. Competition as it is, fellows."

They watched. Although across the kingdom the War of Emperium had been declared there was no fighting in Luina and Greenwood Lake. All the guilds that were in the kingdom were in the Valkyrie Realms, trying to snatch the castles from the Black Cross.

But as time passed there was no such thing happening. The Black Cross was heavily prepared for sieges such as this one, and they were displaying their full talents. At Kriemhild the guilds were standing at the gates, but they didn't want to step further due to the imposing figure of Finnagan, a battle blacksmith reputed to have wiped out entire attacking forces.

At Gondul attacking guilds could get no further than the doors, mainly due to the powerful hallway defence led by Missi, a battle sage who had a very good idea of how to stop people going past her.

There was no point.

Minutes later the three leaders was joined by a sage. Alya, leader of the Seven Eyes guild, was also not involved in any of the battling. They were the four of the biggest guilds and were not interested.

"How's it look, Alya?" said Raven, without looking around.

"I can tell you that this campaign in the Valkyrie Realsm will fail," replied the sage, shaking her head. "Look at them. The Black Cross isn't even lifting a finger and no guild can get past their defences."

"I think that new guild down there has quite good potential, though," remarked the priest, looking down. All four of them were standing atop a large cliff to watch the war.

They looked.

"What guild is that?" said Raven.

"Eye of Odin," answered Adiemus. "It's a new guild, apparently, and rising through the ranks fairly fast for newcomers."

"Who's the leader?" asked Alya.

"Horus," said the priest. "An assassin. From what I hear he's one of the top ten in the Assassins' Guild and always gets recommended, although I do believe he doesn't assassinate without good reason."

"Sounds like a good man," said Adiemus. "You get very few assassins like him these days."

"Sounds like you're a regular customer of the Assassins' Guild," said Alya, giving him a look. "Are you?"

"_No._"

"I believe that," she said, without any change in her tone.

"Hey, that's interesting," remarked Raven, still watching the Eye of Odin battle to get through the gates of Fadhgrindh. "I think the Eye of Odin's through."

"What?" The other three joined him in watching.

The guild had indeed got through the gate defence of Fadhgrindh. The hunters atop the towers of the third castle were panicking, running about and shouting incoherently to their mates. After a while there was a distant crash that sounded like a lot of pots and pans falling to the floor.

"There goes a guardian," said Raven, who looked considerably happier. "The guild's doing a good job, don't you think? They're disappearing through the gates of Fadhgrindh and the Black Cross still hasn't stopped them."

"I feel like hopping down there and having a look," said the priest, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "They must be employing very good strategies. It's coming close to one hour, by the way."

"Taking back your statement on the campaign against the Black Cross?" said Adiemus to Alya, grinning.

The sage folded her arms across her chest and huffed. "You wait, Adiemus. It's only been one hour. I don't count my pickies before they've hatched, you know."

Adiemus chuckled. Alya was one of the very few women he knew who had an independent streak and could be relied upon without fail. It was what made her a good guild leader and of the very few women to do so.

"I won't put any thoughts forward, then," he said. "Sometimes stuff you say comes true."

"Because it _is_ the truth, Adiemus. Now go and watch."

* * *

The Raulus party was finding it difficult to get through Repherion. There were many corners to turn, and the guardians were coming after them by the dozen.

As they ran Emeth slowed. "Keep going! I'll hold off the guardians!"

Valkron shouted his thanks and urged his peco on. There were no monsters around the castle itself, but running through the floors were making it harder. This was just the ground floor they were finding their way through.

Emeth raised his staff, magic whipping up into a wind around him. As the soldier guardian lumbered up to him a magic circle appeared under its feet, spinning. Minutes later a great blizzard had broke out above its head, and it was frozen.

The wizard reacted fast. Massive bolts of lightning crackled, striking the floor so hard the stone cracked. It was followed by five pillars of lightning slamming into the guardian.

The soldier shook the ice off and stepped forward. Immediately a marsh materialised into existence around its feet. Emeth grinned and struck the ground with the end of his staff.

Spikes of earth erupted from where he struck and headed for the soldier. The guardian stumbled and fell. As it reached the floor a massive spike shot out from the ground and went through its helmet. Emeth had to run with his arms over his head as pieces of armour larger than a house rained around him minutes later.

By this time the rest of the guild was on the second floor. Most of them were following Valkron closely so that they did not take the wrong portal and warp to the sniper areas instead of the third floor. Nocturne and Kushana were the exception - they had gone to the sniper areas to keep an eye for any other guild in Britoniah. Valkron knew they had armed themselves with their powerful status bows; there would be no need to worry about them for now.

The second floor was where they encountered the master guardians. Several times they had to duck when a guardian swept its sword at them, trying to knock them off their feet. Eni and Aramithar turned and flung green bottles behind them before running on. As Valkron reached the portal to the third floor he couldn't help looking over his shoulder to see what the bottles were supposed to do.

There was no sign of plant bottles at all, or even broken glass. Where they had thrown them a field of floras were waving their leaves and hissing fiercely at the guardians approaching them.

"Best we could do," said Eni, when he looked at them. "They won't really help, but that's just about what we can do without Emeth."

The knight sighed and turned back to the front--

"_Valkron!_"

He turned and was blocked by a mass of blue hair. Seconds later a massive sword landed on Iruna's shield. The crusader gritted her teeth and threw it off.

"There's no time to look around!" she said breathlessly, sweeping her hair out of her face. "There are too many of these walking suits of armour!"

Valkron nodded and yanked on the reins. His peco honked and threw itself right into the portal. The rest of the guild followed, the guardian's sword narrowly missing Amaru.

They nearly ran into a soldier guardian as soon as they entered the third floor. Amaru skidded forward and kicked his cart. It hit the ankles of the guardian so hard that the suit of armour actually fell. The blacksmith sprinted nimbly through the falling pieces of armour and hastily got his cart before the guardian's sword fell on it.

"Keep going!" shouted Valkron, his eye on the pieces of armour. They were rattling. Without Emeth to destroy them the suit of armour would get back up to its feet.

They ran for the portal to the next floor, dodging and ducking as guardians swung their swords at them. Valkron switched his pike to his other hand, drew his sword and went straight between a master guardian's legs. As he flashed past he did a figure of eight movement with his sword, feeling the metal grind as his sword slashed the guardian's ankles.

As the guardian fell to its knees Valkron swerved back on track. The portal was just ahead. He was the foremost now of the running party. His surroundings were flashing past him, the wind pulling back his hair, the jolts as his peco ran straight for the portal.

He was almost there--

A guardian stepped out in front of him. Valkron did not stop. He saw Iruna's shield, a flashing blur, spin into the guardian's helmet and ricochet off the metal. He heard Amaru slamming his hammer into the ground, and the shockwave that followed cracked the guardian's armour. But it was not down, it was not stopping, it had lifted its sword...

As the sword came down Valkron let go of the reins. He stood up in the saddle, supported by nothing but the stirrups. He swung his pike and met the guardian's sword coming the other way. Sparks flew as the peco galloped along; the pike screeched against the sword.

Valkron gripped the pike and brandished it with such force that the guardian's sword flew out of its hands and clanged on the floor some way away from it. The knight quickly sat back down and pulled hard on the reins; his peco swerved away from the incoming wall.

And there was the light of the portal. Valkron went through without stopping.

* * *

Nocturne smiled in satisfaction, looking at the pile of armour that had earlier been an archer guardian. He turned around to face Emeth, who was catching his breath behind him.

"Nice work. I couldn't have handled that on my own, not especially with the spells embedded into the walls of the castle," he said.

"I like your traps, they saved my neck," replied the wizard breathlessly. "Thanks."

"Um...guys?" said Kushana's voice from behind a piece of wall jutting out. "We've got company."

The hunter and wizard leaned out over the parapet. A guild with spanking new banners had arrived on the outskirts of the Britoniah. From where they were they couldn't tell what guild it was.

"Get back, get back," said Nocturne, hurriedly pushing Emeth behind the walls of the sniper area. "We don't know what castle they're heading for. Kushana, don't let them see you!"

"I'm not stupid! Why do you think I'm behind a wall?" came the answer. "Don't move, you'll attract their attention!"

Nocturne and Emeth held their breaths as the guild came nearer. They appeared to be talking, but no one could hear what they were saying.

"How much time do we have left?" whispered Nocturne.

"No idea," replied Emeth, peering out. "Looks like we've got an army to face here. They've brought _hundreds_...oh, no..."

"What is it?" hissed the hunter.

When Emeth did not answer Nocturne elbowed him in the ribs. "Hey, I asked you something."

"It's the Odyssey," said the wizard sourly, massaging his ribs. "Sagna's guild."

* * *

Down below the newly arrived guild was standing in between Merseitzdeitz and Repherion and talking.

"I have no idea which castle to take," said one of them, clearly their leader. He was a monk with an eyepatch and a livid scar across the eye underneath the patch. "We've got so many to choose from! Eyorbriggar, or Yesnelph, or Bergel..."

"What are the two castles here?" said someone.

"The one we've just passed is Merseitzdeitz, and this one here is Repherion," said the monk. "Come on, let's decide."

Sagna looked around. He had heard rumours of the Raulus guild probably contesting for a castle in Britoniah, but the place seemed quiet and undisturbed.

"Hey," said a hunter. "The earth there's been disturbed, as if traps have been placed there."

As one man the guild drew away from it. The hunter shook his head in exasperation and stepped forward. He knelt down and felt the grass.

"The traps have been detonated already," he said, after a while. "By what, I can't tell. But to be sure, I'll just check."

He whistled. Moments later a falcon soared out of the sky and alighted on his outstretched forearm, which was protected by a large leather glove.

"Go and detect, Nephis," he said to it. The falcon gave him a one-eyed stare before taking off and flying around the area. It did not find anything.

"That means someone was here before," said the monk, scratching his head as the hunter rewards his falcon with a piece of fresh meat. "But how long have they been here? Was it a long time ago? None of these castles have been taken."

The hunter knelt down again, his falcon hovering in the air above him. He scooped up some soil and sniffed it. "There's a faint scent of peco here," he said. "It's fresh."

Just then Sagna said, "Is it me or are the gates of Repherion a bit...wonky?"

After a few minutes of looking at each other the guild charged straight for Repherion.

Up somewhere on the sniper areas a voice said, "Damn it! We shouldn't have broken the gates!"

* * *

Valkron knew he should have slowed down before running into the portal. But what was done was done, and unfortunately he had collided with a guardian's legs.

Khan had easily dispatched the guardian by decapitating it swiftly. But the noise had attracted more guardians, and they were all master guardians.

"Get ready to run," said Valkron, as Amaru helped him to his feet. "Go straight to the emperium room. We don't have time."

"Are you all right, first things first?" said Iruna, riding up to him. "That was quite a bad collision, from the sounds of it."

"You don't have to remind me, thank you very much," retorted the knight, straightening his visor. "Get going! The battle starts once we get into the room!"

He mounted his peco and urged it on. They had no other strategy to deal with the guardians except to run past them. They were far too huge to deal with without a good wizard, and Emeth was the only wizard they had with them. Right now, although they didn't know it, he was their only gate defence.

Once again the surroundings blurred. They ran as if hounds were at their heels, dodging and ducking and showing surprisingly good agility, though Valkron later on credited adrenalin for the boost in speed. The guardians tried to follow them, bringing their swords down on where they thought the little guild was and finding out it was where they had been.

Valkron went straight for the emperium room, but he remembered to slow down. When they got to the place it was a good thing he had slowed down.

They stood and stared.

"Now, _that_ is a lot of monsters," said Samaroh, after a few minutes.

It wasn't just a lot. Raydric archers stood at the corners of the emperium room, waiting for invaders with their arrows at the ready. In it prowled several creatures they recognised to be deadly and dangerous - the ice wolf Garm, miniature versions of Baphomet, a very fat phreeoni, an abysmal knight, a lord of the abyss and a tall, animate mummy. There was an evil druid as well and two swords wrapped in chains and waving their spindly arms.

After a few minutes Valkron shut his mouth and fastened his pike to the side of his peco. From the other flank he pulled out his scythe.

"It's all or nothing, everybody," he said, as his peco snorted and pawed the ground. "All or nothing."

Rider and peco _charged_.

* * *

The four guild leaders were still watching the battle for Fadhgrindh with fascination. All the other guilds had given up. Apocalypse Ultima, Exorcisma and the Seven Eyes had decided to loan their priests and monks to the other guilds that desperately needed them.

"How much more time before the War of Emperium ends?" asked Adiemus, not taking his eyes off Fadhgrindh.

"About half an hour or so," replied the priest.

"What's happening in Fadhgrindh?" said Alya, craning over Raven and Adiemus' heads. "There's absolutely no sound at all."

"By now if the Eye of Odin is really that good they would have reached the emperium room," said Raven. "There doesn't have to be a sound when they're breaking the emperium, does it?"

"It would help."

There was a shout. Raven looked around. "What?"

"Look! The flags of Fadhgrindh are changing!" shouted Adiemus excitedly.

With every heartbeat thumping in their ears, they saw the black cross on the flag begin to distort. It was as if the whole of the Valkyrie Realms was holding its breath. Not a leaf moved, not a wind blew. The black cross was disappearing, and in its place was an eye with a golden iris - the emblem of the Eye of Odin.

It was almost complete. Almost...almost...it was solidifying...

Suddenly there was an explosion that rocked the area. People cried out in shock as the Eye of Odin abruptly emerged from the gates of Fadhgrindh like a river that had broken through a dam. Screams and shouts echoed through the afternoon air. The flags of Fadhgrindh flickered, before the black cross reappeared on them.

"They're _panicking_," said Adiemus, who had very good eyesight for a man of his age. "It's as if something scared them."

"Good guilds don't get scared of anything," said Raven, in disgust.

As the last few stragglers got out of the gates, a figure appeared in the smoke that was billowing out from the gates. It was walking very slowly towards the Eye of Odin. Those who were closest to him were trying to get away from him as much as they could, clambering over others, glancing fearfully at the shadow all the time as if expecting him to do something.

The smoke cleared. Now the four leaders could see the man. He was dressed in priest robes and had shoulder-length grey hair. The fringe was so long that he had swept it to one side, and even then it still covered his left eye. In one hand he held a large brown, rather frayed book.

But the shocking thing about him was that his robes were _pitch black_.

He stood there, watching the coughing, frightened guild scramble out of the gates. Adiemus did not like this man. There was a smug, self-satisfied smile on his face, and the eye that was visible looked insanely delighted at the success.

'Who is _that_?" said Alya.

"I think it's the new guild member they invited," replied Raven. "You'd think they were satisfied with their power, but no, they had to go and get another one..."

"I doubt Vineis would ever be satisfied," said Adiemus flatly.

After a few minutes an assassin leapt out from the cowering guild and went to the gates of Fadhgrindh. He did not go further, but stood there.

"The Black Cross will not always win!" he shouted. "Even if they use such underhand tactics, one day they must step down! So don't gloat over this victory, you two-faced cheaters!"

"Oh, no," said the priest, covering his eyes with one hand.

"Is that Horus?" asked Alya.

"I think so," replied Raven.

The grey-haired priest's smile widened. His long fingers opened his book and turned a few pages. Then he looked up.

"You can say whatever you want, Horus of the Eye of Odin," he said. "You are not Odin. You cannot determine our fate. But unfortunately I can determine yours for you."

Black wind suddenly whirled into existence around the priest and formed into two serpentine heads with glowing red eyes. He pointed at Horus.

With lightning speed the serpent heads struck the assassin. There was a scream, followed by a bright white light which caused a massive explosion.

After the dust had cleared the priest in black robes was coughing and retreating into Fadhgrindh. At the same time the leader of Apocalypse Ultima was supporting Horus and walking towards the Eye of Odin.

Adiemus, Raven and Alya ran to join him. They reached him just as he was talking to his priests.

"--and I want the wounds cleaned and bandaged after every two hours. Someone stay with him until the poison has been purged from the wound. Yes?" This was to the three of them.

"How is he...oh..." Alya's voice died away.

"Poison," said the priest, as Horus was taken away. "A poison I have never seen before. I doubt we have the antidote to it, but my priests will see to it."

"What are we up against?" said Adiemus, his words barely a whisper.

The priest closed his eyes and folded his arms across his chest. His amiable, vague expression had been replaced by an anger the three knew. "Ill, malicious intent of an individual can be poisonous indeed. It seems the Black Cross is looking for such individuals."

* * *

The Odyssey was finding it quite hard to get into the castle. People were going in and not coming out. Those who did manage to return did not seem to want to talk about anything.

This was because, unbeknownst to them, Emeth was casting almost every spell he knew repeatedly at the warp gate that served as the main entrance of Repherion. He was wildly hoping the guild would not realise there was another one, but Nocturne and Kushana, with their deadly bows, had gone to it. He was alone.

He was also running out of energy. There was only so much he could do.

Somehow the only thing that was fuelling him now was the thought of Kushana. He felt tired, so tired all he wanted to do was just stop casting and let go of everything. The darkness gathering at the edges of his vision was tempting him to stop...but he pushed himself on. He thought of the huntress, and somehow deep down he felt he should go on. There was nothing else he could do. Giving up was not an option.

_Eventually Sagna will come in_, he thought tiredly. _And then he would know what his old tutor was up to. _

_I don't even know why I care._

Emeth gritted his teeth and concentrated on the task at hand. His back was aching, he had a bad headache throbbing every few minutes, he was running out of the energy to keep doing what he was so good at. But he had no choice.

Or rather, he _had_ a choice, but he chose to fight for his guild.

_Please. Please let Valkron break the emperium now._

* * *

Valkron was not in the mood for doing such a thing, of course. He was fighting a phreeoni, an evil druid and Garm himself alone. The rest of his party was already tiring, and there was no sight of the emperium anywhere.

The knight whirled his scythe and swept it in an arc before him. The evil druid shrieked before splitting into two and disappearing. The phreeoni leaped up at the knight, only to get a sword right through its large jaws and out through the back of its head.

Garm growled and leapt. Valkron, still busy with the phreeoni, was caught unawares and was thrown off his saddle. As his peco honked in distress Garm slammed his heavy paws into the knight's chest and opened his jaws wide. Valkron could see every tooth and smell the rotting breath of the wolf.

A shield spinning so fast it was a blur hit Garm across the back. As the wolf turned its head Valkron, wincing as his ribs screamed, shoved his sword into the wolf's heart. There was a cut-off yelp.

"Are you all right, Valkron?' said Iruna, helping him up.

"Other than my ribs, yep, I'm fine." Valkron winced again. Garm had probably broken a few ribs.

The crusader laid her hands on his chest. Her hands emitted white light. Valkron felt the itchy, hot-needle sensation of the healing spell before the white light faded and he felt no pain.

"Go, Valkron. We're almost done with the monsters," said Iruna, giving him a gentle push towards the empty pedestal. With a look over his shoulder at her he made for the pedestal, ducking to avoid an errant arrow from a raydric archer. He came face to face with Osiris, the mummy from the Morroc Pyramids.

Valkron growled and gripped his scythe. However, before he could move strong white light blasted the mummy out of the way. Samaroh went past in a blur and cast Magnus Exorcismus without pausing. At the same time, he was hastily silencing the abysmal knight.

After a minute or so Iruna charged towards the mummy and brought her massive sword down onto it. There was a long moan as the mummy fell to pieces.

Valkron could go no further. He had nothing to do. The emperium was not in sight, and the monsters were battling the others. He managed to get his peco and mount it again, and then he tried to take his bearings in the crowded room.

The lord of abyss charged straight at him, lance held up. Valkron smiled grimly and pulled out his scythe. As the ghost pulled back its arm, ready to strike, the knight scythed at the horse. It neighed and reared, the ghost rider on its back waving its arms frantically as it tried to control the horse.

Samaroh came to Valkron's rescue, thankfully. He also blessed Valkron with Pneuma before going after the abysmal knight, which was trying to work on the two alchemists.

Out of the corner of his eye Valkron saw Aramithar clap his hands together. Four marine spheres appeared out of nowhere and headed straight for the abysmal knight. Samaroh threw himself out of the way before the marine spheres exploded.

It was Amaru, with his massive right epsilon glowing golden, who dispatched the knight easily. Khan meanwhile was finishing off the raydric archers and what Valkron was coming to think of the children of Baphomet with a series of kicks and slashes.

Suddenly everything fell quiet. The last archer fell to pieces, clanging in the sudden silence, but no one cared.

For, upon the pedestal, a great crystal was materialising.

Valkron felt his jaw drop. The emperium of the castle was _massive_. At seven feet it towered above them, and it was twice as wide as an average man. As it solidified into existence it sparkled and pulsed, filling up the room with golden light. It was also rotating slowly on the pedestal.

Amaru did not waste time. Within seconds he had leapt up on the pedestal and was giving it strong, hard whacks. Valkron came to his senses and pulled out his pike. He dismounted and joined Amaru. Khan came in a minute or so later, and so did Iruna.

The emperium shuddered with every blow they gave it, and Valkron felt a little sorry for it. But it had to be done. Their guild emperium had to be sitting on the pedestal to truly claim the castle.

"Valkron!" shouted Samaroh from below. "We've got ten minutes left!"

At this Valkron redoubled his effort to break the crystal. It seemed as hard as diamond, and it was hard to break it when his weapon ricocheted after every hit, vibrating quite badly. But he could not stop. None of them could.

Eni and Aramithar joined them, both wielding axes. Samaroh could not join in because now there was very little space on the pedestal that was not taken up by the emperium; he instead pulled out his pocket watch and kept an eye on the time.

But the crystal did not seem to be giving in. Valkron half-heard Samaroh's shouts, but he kept count of the time. They had five minutes left.

Four.

Three.

Two.

One.

* * *

Emeth was tiring out. His vision was wavering.

"Oh, for bloody Odin's sake!" he half-shouted, half-shrieked in exhaustion, casting wildly. "Valkron, why don't you break the damn crystal [inow[/i? Hurry up, will you?"

Suddenly a pair of cool hands gripped his shoulders. He turned to see Kushana behind him.

"That's enough," she said. "You're driving yourself to fatigue. It's two minutes to the end of the War of Emperium."

"Two...minutes?"

She nodded.

Emeth felt like he had wasted all his effort. The castle was not theirs yet. They were still fighting, and only two minutes left.

What could they do in two minutes?

There was a cheer from outside. The Odyssey came pouring in, but then stopped short at the sight of the two of them.

"What the--" began someone.

And then the great horns sounded.

* * *

Valkron heard the sound. In the rising panic he took a deep breath and swung as as hard as he could.

The pike hit. The crystal stayed motionless, and then shattered. Valkron found he had swung too hard and nearly fell over as the crystal gave way. Amaru shoved him upright as the pieces of crystal disintegrated into shimmering golden sparkles around them.

"We did it!" shouted Samaroh wildly, all dignity forgotten. "Repherion is ours!"

It took a few minutes, but when the rest realised they had actually broken the crystal in the last minute there was, first of all, delighted screaming. The men had to cover their ears as Iruna and Eni hugged each other.

Emeth, Kushana and Nocturne came running in, equally delighted. According to Nocturne the flags atop Repherion now proudly bore the red phoenix of the Raulus. It was done.

Repherion was theirs.


	11. Leadership

Chapter 11

**Leadership**

After the guild war was over Adiemus went to the hospice in Prontera and stood in the corner. By rule all crusaders, monks and priests who were not injured were to help in administering to the wounded.

However, when the leader of Apocalypse Ultima was helping, there wasn't any need for almost half of the healers available. He could do a mass heal that covered half the room, and it was almost always fully effective.

The crusader watched the scene from his corner. He had seen this a dozen times before, and he felt nothing towards it. The stench of blood was incredible and the stink of the injured was strong, but Adiemus would be damned if he couldn't stand the smell. He'd been in dozens of battles before; this was nothing compared to what he had seen.

He frowned. Every time he thought of battles he had a nagging suspicion that he had missed something out. There was a gap in his memory - a gap he just couldn't fill no matter what he did. He knew he battled on the day of the Ten Guilds Raid. He just didn't know what had happened.

Maybe Valkron would know, he thought. After all, didn't the knight go through something of that sort? He might be here, too. The Raulus guild has had its Official Guild Approval stamp from the office, and surely they would not have missed out on the action in the Valkyrie Realms.

Wait a minute.

Adiemus straightened up and looked around. He could see nothing of a guild with a red phoenix as its symbol. There were plenty, oh yes - the Gilters, the Guardians of Geffen, some other small guilds - but he could not see the Raulus anywhere.

Raven came up to him just then. "Hey, how's it going? You're not healing."

"When he's here no one has to do anything," replied the crusader, trying to see over people's heads.

"Yes, well, but you're a crusader. Isn't it your job?"

Adiemus turned back to Raven. "He just took it, didn't he? Now, stop asking me those questions and answer this. Is there a guild called the Raulus around?"

"The what?"

"The Raulus guild! The one led by Valkron! Don't tell me you don't know him or I'll spread the word you've been living in the Prontera Underground for too long."

"Hey, that's insulting."

"Just answer the question."

"No."

Adiemus eyed the rogue. "Are you sure?"

"You're talking about a small guild with ten people in it led by a white-haired knight and has a red phoenix as its emblem? Yes? Well, it's not here."

Adiemus stared at Raven, but he could see the rogue was serious.

"I've got to go and find Valkron," he said, getting off the wall he was leaning against. "He's got some questions to answer as well. But what the heck is he doing? I thought he'd join us in the Valkyrie Realms."

Raven shrugged. "I thought he told you."

"What do you mean?"

The rogue was turning to go, but he stopped and looked over his shoulder. "The Raulus has conquered Repherion. It's theirs now."

* * *

Valkron winced as Samaroh dealt with the bruises the knight had received during the fight with the monsters.

"Go easy on the rubbing, will you?" he said. He was naked from the waist up, and the priest was applying copious amounts of what looked like a grainy, thick, yellow-green paste that smelt faintly of feet to his back.

"If I didn't this stuff is never going to get under your skin and fix this large bruise here," replied Samaroh. "Do you know how big it is? It's taking up half your back."

"Just don't put too much pressure on i-- Ow!"

"Sorry."

Valkron rolled his eyes and tried to relax. He wasn't the only one who was injured. Amaru had acquired a large cut to his forehead that he did not notice until after the battle, and Khan had cuts to his forearms. Even Iruna was nursing a sprained wrist, but she was healing herself.

"Good work, Emeth," said the knight, nodding to the wizard. The man was sitting not far away and drinking a white potion. He was still too tired to give a proper answer; he simply nodded and raised the bottle he was drinking from slightly.

"I admire him," said Kushana, looking at the wizard. "Even though it was about to end he didn't stop fighting. It didn't matter to him that he was tiring out; all he wanted to do was keep the other guild out."

Valkron risked a glance at Emeth. The wizard had inclined his head until his red hair was hiding his face from view, but it was easy to tell that his face was turning red. He grinned a little to himself, which vanished a few seconds later.

"_Samaroh!_"

"What?" said the priest, looking up from his work.

"Be careful, will you? That hurt like hell!"

"Sorry. I'm almost done, anyway. Bear with me."

Valkron groaned, but he waited until the priest had finished. Samaroh leaned back in his chair.

"Right. Don't put your shirt on or take a bath until it's dried," he said, getting up and picking up his pack. "I mean it. Just don't."

The knight watched as Samaroh moved on to Amaru and began working on the bleeding cut. Just then Nocturne came running in, leaping over Emeth's long legs and Amaru's cart.

"Valkron, Adiemus is outside," he said breathlessly. "He wants to see you."

Valkron sat up. "What, now?"

"Yeah."

The knight tried to view his options, and then gave up. "All right, I'm coming."

It was not easy to recognise the knight the way he was dressed when he stepped out of Repherion. The Odyssey, which was taking the time to get its members unfrozen and cleaned up of whatever Emeth had done to them, did not even give him a first glance. It was only when Adiemus, still chuckling quietly at the sight of them, looked up and said, "Valkron!"

Valkron wished he had not shouted. Everyone was staring. He suddenly felt very self-conscious of the fact that he was still half-naked as it was.

"Yes, what is it?" he said, coming face to face with the crusader. "Don't give me a slap on the back. I'm without a shirt for a reason. And why did you have to come here at this time?"

"You sound like I owe you," said the crusader. "Why can't I come and congratulate my friend? You've worked well for what you got."

"Like this?" said Valkron in despair.

Adiemus looked him up and down. "You seem fine to me. Just like any man."

Valkron turned around. There were gasps, and they weren't just from Adiemus.

"How in the world did you get that?" said the crusader, when valkron had turned to face him again.

"Garm threw me off my peco," answered the knight. "My ribs got broken as well, but Iruna healed me. It's not funny having a great big wolf on you."

"I can see that," said the crusader. "Well, congratulations for conquering Repherion. You'd better make sure you keep it, of course."

"I will," said Valkron. "Oh yes, I will."

Adiemus laughed. "Just like you, Valkron."

"Where were you during the war, Adiemus?"

"Say WoE just like the rest of us, Valkron. It won't hurt. I was in the Valkyie Realms, just like everyone else."

"What?"

"You didn't know?" said Adiemus. When Valkron shook his head he continued, "There was a campaign to clear the Black Cross out of at least one of Prontera's castles."

"Was it successful?"

"One guild nearly succeeded, but the Black Cross regained control in the last minute. I think Vineis is a bit angry, to be frank."

"Why do you say that?"

Adiemus lowered his voice, because the members of the Odyssey were watching them with interest. "Membership with the Black Cross is strictly by invitation only, and then again it's by personal invitation from Vineis. Somehow they've got hold of another member who seems to have a lot more...power...than we thought."

"I know membership is by invitation," said Valkron. "Vineis came along personally to see me."

"WHAT? And you never told me?"

"Err...no, why? Anyway, I turned him down. There is no way I'd make my guild an extension of his."

Adiemus gaped at him for a minute or two before he remembered himself. "So _that_ was why Vineis was so mad. Maybe he got the new member as revenge."

"New member? What new member?"

"Some priest wearing black robes, with grey hair. I've never seen his spells before. He poisoned Horus of the Eye of Odin with some kind of weird spell."

"A _priest_? _Poison?_"

"Exactly."

Valkron tried to take this in. Had Vineis been so desperate to get someone powerful until he found someone who could go beyond the limit? He shook his head.

"When did he get this new member?"

"No idea. I think the priest joined some time before Vineis came to see you."

"Then that's not revenge, that's just overconfidence," said Valkron disgustedly. "He probably thinks that just because he's got some overpowered new guy means he can get [ime[/i."

"I know. Look, we'd better go in and talk. People are staring at us, and one or two women are fancying you already."

Valkron looked over his shoulder. The crusader was right - there were girls whispering among themselves, pointing excitedly at Valkron. They stopped when he looked at them, but it was clear enough.

"Sorry, girls, I'm already taken," called out the knight. He grinned at Adiemus' expression. "Just having a little fun, why can't I? Okay, we'll go in, and maybe my guild members can help out with this discussion, because I haven't a clue what you're talking about."

* * *

"A priest wearing black robes?" said Samaroh, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"You know him?" said Adiemus.

The priest washed his hands in the basin of water next to him and dried them on a rag. "All I know is that he's a bit of an oddball. I never had classes with him, but other people said he was a bit of a loner and didn't like mixing around."

"Isn't everybody these days?" groaned Valkron.

"Well, he did seem a bit odd to me." Samaroh began to clear up the many tools of his trade. "I only ever saw him in the library in the Church, and in the courtyard. He always seems to be researching something when he's in the library, and when I see him in the courtyard he's writing in this large brown book."

"He was carrying that at Fadhgrindh!" said Adiemus, sitting up in his chair. "He opened it and summoned two large serpents with it!"

Samaroh turned around and stared at him so hard then that Valkron coughed. "Is there anything significant about this brown book, then?"

"Well...considering what's been going on at our classes recently, I don't think so," replied the priest, still staring at Adiemus. "After all, we've been using all sorts of books."

"So _do_ you know him, Samaroh?" said Valkron, trying to get him to stop staring at the crusader.

"Not that I do." Samaroh went back to his packing, much to Valkron's relief. "The other thing I know about him is that his name is Sedir."

"And that's it? No reason for the black robes?"

Samaroh shrugged. "People can dye their clothes with any colour they want, Valkron," he said, closing his pack and strapping it. "It's up to him, though it makes him look a bit like an old man with his grey hair."

"How old is he?"

The priest screwed up his face as he recalled. "Uh...I'd say about late twenties. Adiemus, don't touch that jar."

"Do what he says, he's serious," added Valkron. Adiemus took his hand away from the jar full of what appeared to be a blue jelly with glowing yellow spots in it.

"What kind of priest are you?" asked the crusader. "I've never seen such strange concoctions before, except those made by alchemists - but that's not surprising."

"I'm the kind that doesn't always use magic, in the long run." Samaroh picked up the jar and pushed into a separate pouch. "I believe in herbal therapy and practical medicine. A lot of things can be explained in words, and a lot of things are easy to work out."

"In short, someone who doesn't like relying on magic to explain things?" asked Adiemus shrewdly.

"Yes."

"My guild is like that," said Valkron. "But I don't mind. For all I know they've probably got something that might become a find of the century or something like that. And besides, the theories they come up with are--"

"Good to laugh at," said Samaroh sourly.

"_Let me finish._ The theories they come up with are fairly interesting." Valkron shot a particularly dagger look at the priest, who deliberately ignored him. "I do enjoy a bit of cogitation now and then."

"If you want interesting theories, Valkron, get yourself a sage," said Adiemus. "Which reminds me - you'll need a lot more than just these ten people in your guild if you want to keep this up."

"What do you mean?"

"See here," said the crusader. "You've got a wizard. They're good for defending gateways and wiping out forces. But if your opponent has a sage that's it for Emeth. Sages can break spells in mid-cast. They can nullify area spells. They can disable practically almost anyone. Monks can either attack or defend, considering they have tremendous physical strength and the power to heal as well. A bard and a dancer will boost up your chances of keeping a gate well defended. And I know you dislike this, but get a rogue or two."

"Whatever for? And no, even though I seem to show some dislike towards rogues I don't necessarily hate them."

"Rogues strip people of their armour." Adiemus grinned at Valkron's expression. Samaroh was trying not to laugh behind them. "And weapons. You're not going to be the only people using cards, Valkron, so if you can get rid of the armour _and_ the cards you're going to find yourself practically knocking people out in one blow. On this subject of stripping, make sure your alchemists are available, because it's only them who can protect you from like-minded rogues."

"Ah," said Valkron. "Adiemus?"

"Yes?"

"Go easy on me, will you? I may be an efficient knight, but I don't deny I'm getting older."

Adiemus chuckled. "Modest as usual, are you?"

valkron shrugged. "It's me."

"For a sarcastic, foolish, stubborn old geezer like him, that's quite surprising," said Samaroh, passing them. Valkron looked annoyed as Adiemus laughed.

"Your friends are good people," said the crusader. "I've never seen more loyal warriors before. You've changed them, I can see that."

_Yeah, I know_, thought Valkron. _But they've changed me more than I have for them._

* * *

In Fadhgrindh the Black Cross were celebrating over their success in keeping their five castles. It was not very surprising for anyone else, but to them they enjoyed it, since their main base was in Luina and not the Valkyrie Realms.

Vineis wound in and out of the crowd, thanking the members responsible for holding off forces. He felt elated at this. The highest ranking guild in the kingdom, with the ability to keep castles for more than three weeks! The pride in him was indescribable whenever someone came over to him from nowhere and congratulated him on his success.

They had no allies, because the Black Cross was the biggest guild the kingdom had ever had in history, and some of the most powerful warriors resided with them. Vineis also saw no need in alliances, because he hated the thought of being bound to terms.

The wizard looked around in the crowd and spotted an assassin not far off. He went over to him and clapped him on the back.

"Good work, Lucius," he said. "You've done well with Skoegul. I should leave it in your charge, since you said the Assassins' Guild took you off the hiring list."

"It would be my pleasure," replied Lucius, inclining his head a little. He had pitch black hair, some of which fell over his left eye handsomely. The assassin was not hard to spot because of his tanned complexion, which most assassins were wont to gain after a few months in Morroc.

"I do hope that you are well, though," said Vineis worriedly. "How has the treatment been going?"

"Sedir is doing a fine job. There is nothing to worry." The assassin brushed back his hair a little. "But I must keep my headband on at all times."

"We will do anything to keep you well, Lucius," said Vineis, smiling. "You're one of our most invaluable members. Keep it up."

Lucius watched Vineis disappear into the crowd. He turned around and said, "He seems much happier, does he not?"

"Yes, and I'm thankful for it," said Sheuth, who had been standing behind him all the while. Lucius was so tall he completely blocked the rogue from sight. "Vineis should never get angry. If he ever does he'll end up killing himself."

"No one knows why, however," said Lucius thoughtfully. "Do you?"

Sheuth turned. Lucius backed off. The rogue had a blazing look in his eyes that did not bode well.

"That is something you are better off not knowing," snarled the rogue. "Leave him alone."

The assassin bowed his head and moved away from Sheuth. Once he had put a safe distance between him and the rogue he went to get something to eat.

He stood against the long table, savouring the spiciness of peco meat with black pepper. As he watched the crowd the cogs in his mind began to whirl.

He had been invited by Vineis shortly after a mercenary expedition to the Mrroc Pyramids to rescue a few lost souls. The expedition had ended with him saving almost all of his party save for a crusader, and had earned him a bravery award from the Morroc caliph. Then Vineis had visited him and made him an offer that he could see would be worth it.

And it was. Lucius had never been more supported all his lifetime. He suffered from an incurable condition since childhood that caused him to be inexplicably weak and intolerant to pain. Once he had informed Vineis, instead of expelling him the wizard had sought for a priest who could help him. Vineis did not use him as a pawn; the wizard had taken care of him like a father to his son.

The assassin did not wish to leave his guild. After spending a childhood of being neglected and uncared for he had found a home where he felt he truly belonged.

Still, he was somewhat disturbed over Sheuth. The rogue did not seem like a normal person. Although Vineis could certainly be disturbing at times Sheuth was even more so. There was always friction between rogues and assassins, but he knew that was not the reason why he disliked Sheuth strongly.

He barely glanced when a sage joined him after a while, leaning on the table and surveying the crowd.

"Interesting, eh?" he said, with a Northern accent. He had straw yellow, rather floppy hair. "My, the Black Cross is a wonder."

Lucius sighed. "Seyren, I thought you would be with the King as usual."

"I am the Guild Correspondent," came the answer. "I know all the laws and all the rules on the King's mercenary guilds. I must see to it that no guild dishonours their contracts to the King, and I do have a personal prefernce for the bigger guilds because they are more capable of destruction than the smaller ones."

"We are celebrating, Seyren," said Lucius dully. "How destructive can it get?"

"Don't you worry." Seyren's Northern accent indicated he came from the mountains. He did not speak with the ordered manner of the Al de Baran residents; it was more like the country talk of the plains. Lucius, however, never said this aloud - the sage was a true mountain warrior. Behind his drawling voice hid a very fierce personality.

"Why do you say that?"

"Well, I have to keep an eye on the other big guilds as well," said Seyren, flourishing a hand lazily. "Apocalypse Ultima, Exodus Faction, the Seven Eyes, Exorcisma, the Legionnaires, the Defenders of Prontera - as long as they have more than a hundred and fifty members I must regularly visit them. I haven't done so with yours in _ages_. Haha."

There was also another thing Lucius found annoying with Seyren. The man laughed so slowly and lazily that it made the assassin feel like kicking him.

"Well, it has certainly been entertaining conversing with you," said Lucius. "Now I must disappear into the crowd."

"As you always do when I'm around. Haha."

Without so much as a backwards glance the assassin vanished into the crowd.

* * *

Vineis, meanwhile, had found who he was looking for. It wasn't actually hard to do so, but the man had an unnerving habit of blending into the crowd wherever he stood.

"Ah, Sedir," said the wizard. "The man of the moment! A thanks is in order!"

"There is no need to thank me," replied the priest, his grey irises the only thing that had moved when Vineis had emerged from the crowd. "I serve my guild leader, and only him. It is my duty."

"Ah, no guild could ever be more happy to have such a fine warrior as you," said Vineis. "You are, indeed, as powerful as you say. To be able to kill a man without touching him...I admire your talent. You are a genius. It is such a pity that no one of the Church sees you the way you are."

Sedir looked at Vineis, his grey eyes emotionless and blank. "The Church is ignorant, Vineis. I see nothing of them. They are as myopic as ever. However, for you, I will certainly use my talent."

"I have a feeling," said Vineis thoughtfully, "that in time your talent will not be restricted to the War of Emperium. I am glad you chose to stay with us and not go to any other guild."

"It is an honour, Vineis, to be working alongside you," said Sedir, looking back at the crowd. "You have brought me here and given me a home. I could not have asked for more. Anything you want, anything you need...I will be here for you, Vineis."

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	12. I Care?

Chapter 12

**I Care?**

Valkron felt irritable. More or less, Samaroh's medication meant that he was unable to sleep on his back. Instead he busied himself with creating Repherion into the base castle of the Raulus.

Repherion was not furnished, so they spent a day getting simple pieces of furniture. They moved out from the inn - Emeth was sent to do the transaction, since Valkron was still half naked and was not going out like that. However, the great castle had so many rooms it was difficult to choose.

Eventually Valkron set aside a floor. On that floor about twenty rooms were vacant. These were for the main body of the guild.

"You're saying this place is for members of the guild _council_?" said Iruna, as they surveyed the place while people moved things into the rooms.

"Yes, why not?"

"But who is joining the council? You can't just put in everybody!"

"People who are worthy enough to join," said the knight. "I'm not an idiot. Vineis didn't get where he was by being an idiot, either. Why would you think he only accepts members by invitation?"

Iruna sighed. "People out there will be begging us to join when they hear about this."

"We'll see about that," said Valkron, smiling grimly.

They were on the top floor of Repherion. Anyone could see that only the best warriors were going to be around the emperium room, with Valkron's arrangement.

"We'll have people patrolling at night, when we get enough members," said Valkron. "Adiemus warned me that the gates of Repherion can't be locked--"

"--because we broke them--" murmured Iruna.

"--and monsters are liable to wander in at any time. I don't fancy waking up and seeing an orc in the room." Valkron stopped striding towards the portal and said, "Iruna, can you check to see if whatever Samaroh has done to my back is dry?"

"I'm not touching that!"

"Just look! I never said touch!"

Iruna had a look. "I don't think it's that dry," she said at last. "It looks like you'll need to sleep with it tonight."

"Great. On the subject of sleep, Iruna," Valkron whipped around, "you are _not_ sleeping with me from tonight onwards."

"I'm not going to," said the crusader. "There's enough space for all of us. But it's not very nice of you to chase me off like that."

Valkron sighed. "I admit, I'm a traditionalist. I'd rather not sleep with someone until I'm married with her, all right? It's just the way I've been brought up."

Iruna raised her eyebrows. "You should have said."

"Yeah, well, I just met you. It's not that I don't trust you," he added hastily, seeing her face, "but I'm just not...used to sharing secrets with others. All right? Give me a break."

"Okay, okay," said Iruna. "I understand. At least you explained it to me rather than make me find it out for myself."

"What, is that good?"

"It does show you care," she said, smiling at him.

Valkron felt his face burn. "Right. Right. I'm going to go and...see how the ground floor's doing, okay?"

He hurried off, his face still hot. He knew he had gone red when she had said that, but at the same time he felt a little happier than before. No one had ever told him that before.

He pulled himself together when he reached the ground floor. Much to his surprise he saw Adiemus and someone else standing in the midst of the bustle that was his guild trying to brighten up the place.

"Busy now, eh?" said Adiemus, when Valkron had reached them. "Preparing for another war?"

"Making this our home," replied Valkron, grinning. "Why are you here to see me?"

"Oh, I just want to talk to you for a while," answered the crusader. "But before I do that, someone else here wants to talk to you."

Valkron turned to the man standing beside him and promptly felt his jaw drop. "_Raven?_"

"Can see you're not as ignorant as some of the other guild leaders," said the rogue, grinning. "Yep, it's Raven of the Defenders of Prontera."

"And...and why are you here?" said Valkron.

"Oh, I just want to shake you by the hand. Just ten people and you claimed the agit for your own! Congrats!"

"Agit?" said Valkron, mystified.

Raven gaped at him. Adiemus chuckled. "I told you, Raven. He's a bit new at this guild business." To Valkron he said, "An agit simply refers to the guild castle. It's WoE slang. Remember it."

"Ah."

Valkron clasped Raven's scarred hand and was immediately given a firm grip. He looked up into the eyes of the rogue and realised, against all expectations, that Raven was an honest man. Either that, or the stage had missed a talent.

"Ah. A headstrong, determined look in your eyes. I like that in a knight, let alone a man." Raven shook Valkron's hand. "When I shook hands with Vineis when he became a guild leader he looked away when I stared into his eyes. Hah. Wimp. And I can't believe you turned Vineis down successfully. Let's all celebrate!"

"Is he always like this?" whispered Valkron to Adiemus, who was pulling on his pipe next to him with what looked suspiciously like a bemused expression.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it," replied the crusader.

"Anyway," said Raven, becoming serious again, "it's alarming that you did. I have a hunch he might come after you in the long run, eventually."

"I'm thinking that too," said Valkron, releasing Raven's hand. "But while he takes a run up I'll just build my guild, shall I?"

"You've got an evil mind, I grant you that," said the rogue. "On a side note, let's just say most rogues are on your side now, eh, Valkron?"

The knight looked apprehensive. "Oh, damn."

"Nothing to be concerned about," said Adiemus. "Rogues don't have guilds or institutes or associations or orders. They just join the Brotherhood of the Grey Wolves when they become rogues. Raven here's one of the more senior members in the clan, and a lot of them look up to him."

"I'm not going to do anything to you for browbeating some of the rogues," said Raven, as Valkron's apprehensive expression did not change. "Personally I like to see someone stand up to them and challenge them, once in a while. Some of the youngsters these days have very hot blood. Just watch out for the occasional graffiti on your flag. I recommend you to get a rogue."

"Well, I doubt any rogue wants to join us at this rate, seeing it's me who's the leader," said Valkron, running a hand through his white hair. "They won't forget me in a hurry."

"Nah, they'll be fine. You're worthy of a senior position in the Brotherhood of the Grey Wolves, you know, with that strictness of yours." Raven grinned at the knight's discomfort. "Don't worry, only rogues belong to the clan."

"Right," said Valkron. "I'll be glad if you could tell them to keep the crime rate on the streets to a minimum, though. The City Division is going haywire, and the last thing I want is to see the Chivalry breaking down."

"You got it," said Raven, winking at him.

Adiemus chuckled. "I wonder why you don't ever go into politics, Valkron. You've got a mind for it."

"It's a dull thing, and I hate playing games," replied the knight, as Raven wandered off to look around Repherion. "That's all they ever do. All say and no action."

"Well, now that you're a guild leader you can't escape from it. Welcome to the world of the War of Emperium." Adieums threw an arm around his neck. "All the guild leaders want to meet you. They heard about your wild success over Repherion."

"It's nothing, all right?" protested the knight. "If I had taken this castle from a bigger guild then that would be something to crow about. Not claiming a cast-- agit!"

"Claiming one for your guild is nothing, I agree," mused Adiemus. "But you did it with ten members, Valkron. _Ten members_. It takes a lot to charge into an unoccupied castle with just _ten_ people, you know."

"Is it the first time it's ever happened?" asked Valkron suspiciously.

"Well, in my life, yes." Adiemus smiled. "Expect your popularity to shoot up. In the meantime, I'd like to ask you something."

"Go ahead."

"On the day of the Ten Guilds Raid, what happened exactly?"

Valkron felt himself slowly freeze. He looked at Adiemus, whose smiling, bright face was not making things any better.

"Why do you want to know?" he asked, in a voice that did not seem to be his.

"Because I can't go around for the rest of my life with a large gap in my memory.' Adiemus' voice was grave. "And you are the only one who can tell me what happened."

Valkron sighed. "Well, I can't hide it forever. Besides, I owe it to you. But don't ever make me talk about it again - I'll break your nose if you do, and I won't hesitate to do it."

* * *

When Valkron had finished the crusader was silent. He had not interrupted Valkron throughout the whole story. The knight watched him worriedly. They were sitting in what would be the guild kitchen if there had been a stove and the sort of things you could find in kitchens.

Finally he said, "I really...died?"

Valkron nodded.

"I really did say those words?"

Nod.

"And you burned everything?"

Nod.

"Didn't your party members protest?"

"They did," said Valkron. "But I had my way."

As he spoke he had a flashback of the words he had said back then - the words that had changed his party members' minds.

_"When they were under control they behaved like beasts. But in death they died as humans. I will not deny them their right. If they died like warriors, then let them be burned as warriors who fought valiantly for their world."_

"Did you really say those words?"

Valkron was taken aback. "I said that aloud?"

"You did."

The knight looked away. "Yeah, I did."

There was an awkward silence. Then Adiemus chuckled a little and looked up. Valkron looked up to find the crusader's eyes shining with tears.

"You are indeed one of the greatest friends I have ever had in my life," he said. "You may be reckless and stubborn, but you do care."

The knight was surprised when his old friend threw his arms around his neck, but he took it graciously. However, Iruna's words kept coming back to him.

_Do I really care?_ he thought, as he saw Adiemus and Raven off. _I must have changed drastically. I never used to care._

_Is that so?_ said a voice in his head. _If it so, then why do you fight for the world? If it is to make the world a better place, then is it not caring in the first place?_

Valkron spent a mystified, sleepless night thinking.

* * *

The knight got up early the next morning, but he was still tired. He was rather annoyed by this state. For him the only way he could get rid of it was to take a cold shower.

But he had forgotten to ask the Guild Liaison Office to open the pipes that supplied water to the castles of Britoniah. Valkron felt like kicking himself in the head. Since that was not an option he decided to go to the river instead.

Luckily for him Samaroh's ointment had dried nicely. It seemed to have worked quite well - he no longer felt as if his back was on fire all the time. He went to the river and waded in, gasping as the strong cold water hit his legs. But against that a sensation of euphoria was rising in him. He smiled and dived in.

The knight spent an hour in the river. It seemed that it had been ages since he had taken any kind of shower or bath, and considering that he had been splattered with monster blood throughout those two hours it seemed even more so. He cleaned off all stains from his body and got the grease out from his hair. Samaroh had showed him a handy plant called soapwort, which grew in masses by the river banks and when snapped the sap could remove almost any dirt or grease.

The cold, strong water also reminded him of the times he had spent as a child in the stream near Izlude. Those had been good days, when he had played by himself in the sun, with nothing to worry about.

Even so he still felt a little sad.

He got out and dried himself with the towel he had brought. Then, dressed in nothing but a pair of trousers, he began to wash his tunic. His clothes had had their fair share of bloodstains, and it was about time he washed them anyway. With the soapwort he removed the stains and watched as the dark stains swirl with the flow of the river--

"Help!"

Valkron's head shot up. He looked around. Who had shouted? There was no living thing in sight for miles around.

After a few minutes he realised there was a man on the opposite bank, waving his arms at him. He appeared to be shouting and pointing down the river. Valkron got to his feet, frowning.

The man was running along the river bank, still shouting. The roar of the river drowned out his words, but he continued shouting anyway. Valkron, unsure of what was going on, looked the way he was pointing.

At first he couldn't see anything. Then he saw a hand, flung up into the air, followed by a hint of blue. There was something being tossed and thrown about in the water...it was someone!

It was automatic. Valkron dived into water and felt the current pull him away. He did not worry about drowning - he had spent most of his days as a boy swimming in the waters around Izlude, and for a man his age was physically fit. With swift, strong strokes he reached the middle of the river, where he had seen the hand.

He broke through the surface of the water and looked around frantically. The man was pointing down the river again. Not far from him a small blue head bobbed along with the current.

Valkron took a deep breath and dived again. He chased after the person and caught whoever it was around the waist before making his way to a large boulder to take in his situation and find out who he was saving.

He kept his head above water as he held on, and looked. Much to his surprise it was a young girl. She looked no older than fourteen, and had long blue hair like Iruna's. She was unconscious.

The knight looked around. At this point in the river the banks were far too steep and slippery. He had to choose between up or down; for him swimming p a river was no problem. Valkron, however, had never swum with an unconscious non-swimmer, so he took the way down.

He immediately regretted it. The current was so strong that it swept both of them away down the river. He had great presence of mind to take a deep breath before going under, and he let the river take both of them until it seemed to have levelled out. Then he swam to the surface.

There was a waterfall ahead.

Afterwards Valkron wondered if he had actually dived and fought against the current like a madman. It was that, or get smashed against the rocks at the bottom. Even though he was a good swimmer he would never try to survive a waterfall with someone else, let alone all by himself.

He could feel his muscles burning as his lungs screamed for air, but this was a turbulent part of the river and waves crashed down every minute. Valkron narrowed his eyes and kept on swimming until he reached the bank, where he quickly pushed the girl onto dry land and hauled himself out of the water, dripping wet.

The man who had been waving and shouting reached them. As he knelt down by the girl Valkron tried to get his breath back. It had been hard work, starving himself of air when he had to keep the girl's head above water.

"She's not waking up!" cried the old man. Valkron felt sorry for him. He was probably the girl's father or grandfather. He went over to the girl and looked down at her. By her clothes she was a swordswoman; she was pale and motionless, her blue hair plastered all over her face.

Valkron bent over her until their lips touched. Keeping her nose closed, he breathed slowly into her, and then let go. She did not awaken. Panicking slightly Valkron repeated the process. At the same time he undid her simple armour and loosened the neck of her dress.

The man watched as Valkron continued to try and breathe some life into her. The knight was actually panicking by now, but the sane, calm core of his mind was the one that kept the rising panic at bay.

Suddenly the girl opened her eyes and gasped. It ended with her coughing up water.

"Quick, give me your coat," said Valkron to the man. "She'll get a cold if she's not kept warm."

The man did as he was asked. Valkron wrapped the girl in the coat and lifted her into his arms. "Take her home and make sure she gets out of these clothes. Go on, don't stare at me."

The man took her from him, still staring at him. "How can I ever repay you?" he said. "Thank you so much."

"No need to thank me, it's my job. Now go!"

The man hurried away, clutching the little girl close to him. Valkron shook his head as he watched the man go, sending water everywhere. Then he picked his way back through the undergrowth until he found a relatively calm patch of water and swam across to the other side. Still dripping wet, he resumed washing his clothes like nothing had happened.

* * *

Valkron went out to Prontera later on in the morning. He was wondering about how they would eat. At such an early stage they did not have many guild funds save for the money Emeth, Valkron, Amaru, Khan and possibly Aramithar had earned, and that was not enough.

He mused about the idea of guild funding. He disliked taxation and he knew it would drive people away. Other than that he had yet to set up experience taxation, guild ranks, authority...

_Having a guild is definitely difficult_, he thought.

But he felt happier for it. Somehow it was giving his brain the old electric tingle and making it even more alive than ever. He found himself humming as he went along, and didn't stop himself from doing it.

In Prontera everything seemed to be fine. The occasional rogue he met greeted him with a friendly, amiable air, and he answered back just the same. He knew Raven had been around, and the clan would not bother them for some time.

The Chivalry seemed to be fine as well. Valkron took a short visit to his office and found no paperwork. He was slightly puzzled by this. To make sure he went down to the receptionist, who always made a note on any work that was assigned for him.

"Hm? Any work? Let's see..." She checked in her files. "Nope, not any I can see, and not any recent ones. You've got a long list of work here," she pulled out a long list that snaked to the the floor, "but you've finished them already. I think they're letting you off this time because you claimed a castle for your own with just ten people."

"The gossip spreads like wildfire, doesn't it?" said Valkron dryly.

"It's good gossip, sir," said the girl. "They're wanting to meet you every moment now, so I guess it's best if you keep your head low--"

"There he is!"

"--or maybe it's too late for it."

Valkron sighed and turned around. There was a bunch of young knights; by the looks of them they were still gangly and acne-plagued.

"Hold it, boys," he said dully, holding up a hand. "I'm sorry, I'm not letting any of you into the Raulus."

"Why? Is it by invitation, like the Black Cross?" asked one of them.

"Or does it require a membership fee?" asked another. "I'd pay it, if it'll get me in."

"I would! Just name it!"

"Hey, I'd say I'd go for it first!"

"No, you just said you'd pay if it got you in! You never said first!"

"ENOUGH!"

The knights withdrew in fear as Valkron took a step forward. This wasn't Valkron as the mercenary knight he had been a few days before. This was Valkron as a knight commander _and_ a guild leader.

"I don't stand with the tripe of invitation and recruitment fees," he growled. "When did you all come up with those? I don't let people join without knowing them first. Do I know you? No, I don't. And considering the fact that I know almost every other knight in the Chivalry that's saying something! Now get to your lessons and don't let me catch you out here in the hall when you're supposed to be in class!"

The young rookie knights ran for it. Valkron, still simmering, returned to his spot by the counter.

"As harsh as ever," said the receptionist, shaking her head. "But sometimes it's good. I couldn't have chased them off like that."

"Just be firm and fierce, and they'll avoid you like the plague," said the knight, gone from fierce to relaxed in less than half a minute. "Of course that doesn't sound like something you'd want, but at least it works."

"We should have _you_ patrolling the corridors for truanting students," said the girl, laughing.

Valkron half-smiled, but his attention had been stolen by something else. The small bronze doors set into the wall beside the massive doors of the Chivalry were opening, and what looked like a small crowd of short children were being herded into the hallway.

"What's going on?" he asked the receptionist, not taking his eyes off them.

"Just a trip to see the Chivalry," replied the girl. "They're from the Swordsman Academy in Izlude. It's a programme planned out by the Chivalry, because we appear to be losing swordsmen - and swordswomen - to the Order of Juno instead."

"Ah." Contrary to what most people believed, the Prontera Chivalry and the Order of Juno were two completely separate entities. It didn't matter that swordsmen could be inducted into the Order in Prontera as well. The Order of Juno was under the Junoan Church, which shared very different ideals from the Prontera Church. For one thing they _did_ believe in the existence of one God, while the Prontera Church still accepted worship of Odin.

It was basically this that had sparked off some kind of religious debate between the two cities. Prontera, being the kingdom's capital and home of the King, was supported willingly by most cities of the kingdom. However, Juno's magical power was helping it to slowly gain supporters. To prevent any conflict from happening the Junoan Church, which was, in Valkron's personal opinion, much more diplomatic than the Prontera Church, they had set up the Order of Juno, which comprised of only crusaders.

That was why, Valkron thought, it reminded him vividly of the clan of rogues.

But Iruna, whatever she was, accepted it either way. She did believe in a God, but she also believed that the world's religion was not dead yet. And Valkron was fine with that because he didn't believe in anything, as far as anyone could tell.

"Our religion, with Odin and Tyr and the Einherjar and the Valkyries, is a heritage," she had said. "It's what makes us unique. It may not make us united, but it certainly gives us something other than being a people who just follows others."

"I don't give a damn," he had answered. "Whatever other people believe in and think isn't my business."

And now the Chivalry was losing potential warriors to the Order of Juno. Valkron wanted to shake someone by the neck for this, but he knew he couldn't do that. He settled for tightening his grip around the hilt of his sword for good measure.

The little group consisted of swordsmen and swordswomen, all of them ranging from ages - by their looks - twelve to sixteen. They were staring in awe at the great marble ceiling of the Chivalry, their faces upturned so high that they had to stop walking. Either that, or risk walking into a knight.

Valkron watched them without any interest and quite lazily. It was only when he noticed a young rookie knight heading for the doorway that he straightened up.

"Are the rookies really having their classes now?" he said.

"Yes, they are," said the receptionist. "I thought you knew that. Why are you asking?"

"That kid's sneaking off. He thinks I don't see him."

"Go after him, then," she said.

"Are you crazy? I'm a knight!"

"So is he. But they say you're the fastest of the senior knights, sir," she said, winking at him.

Valkron had to admit that himself. He broke to his heels, causing the teenagers to scatter.

The rookie knight looked over his shoulder and then broke into a run, too. But Valkron had had a headstart, and although his armour was heavy he was used to running around in it. Rookie knights were far slower because it was still new to them. He brought the boy down with a tackle around the waist.

"Okay, you get back to your class now," he said, getting to his feet. "I'm going to be standing around the hallway. If you think you can sneak out by the back door don't bet on it. I know all of the secrets of the Chivalry and I've got friends in the right places. Tell that to your friends. Oh, and if I ever catch you again you're getting an earful from me _and_ an extra week's endurance training. I have the authority to pass it. Go."

The rookie knight walked off sulkily, rubbing his waist. Valkron shook his head in exasperation and turned around to go back to the counter, where the receptionist was watching the rookie pass with a grin on her face.

He came face to face with a swordswoman with long blue hair. They stared at each other, a small girl barely fourteen years old, and a man nearing his forties.

"You're the one who saved me this morning, didn't you?" she said.


	13. The Challenge

Chapter 13

**The Challenge**

"You're the one who saved me this morning, didn't you?"

Valkron blinked. _This_ was the girl he had saved? She didn't look it.

"If you were playing around in the river near Geffen, then it would be you," he answered carefully.

"You're Valkron, aren't you?" she said, still staring blankly up at him. "The knight whom everyone says soloed Baphomet for his crescent scythe? The knight who saved the kingdom?"

"To be truthful, I wasn't alone," replied the knight, wishing that the younger kids would stop staring at him as well.

"But you still did it. The only knight to survive all that."

"Not true. There were ten other Chivalry soldiers."

"But you saved us, and you survived," she said. She didn't seem to be saying it as if she meant something. It was just a flat, dull tone.

"Of course I survived, that's what we're trained for," said Valkron exasperatedly. "Now, if you'll let me go I have business to see to."

"You mean catching truanting students?"

Valkron seriously want to kill himself now. He sighed. "All right, I saved you. How's that? Now, excuse me, I have to g--"

"He's the man who saved you from the river?" said another girl, her eyes like saucers. "Cool."

"Really, Niki? Is he? Is he?" begged another.

"Can't be him,' said a boy from the back. "They say he's such a loner he can't even talk to other people. This one's talking to us."

"But that's the same white hair, and the green eyes," said the swordswoman, still looking up at Valkron. "Am I right?"

Valkron had no idea what to say, and was frankly quite relieved when the teacher in charge came over to them. "Stop bothering him now. He's a knight commander of the Chivalry, can't you see that?" To Valkron she said, "I'm sorry, it's just natural curiosity."

"Yeah, well, I used to be curious too," said Valkron, shrugging. "You should know."

The teacher paused in herding the younger kids away. "I...know?"

"Don't tell me you can't remember me," said the knight, still in the same casual tone.

The teacher gave him a closer look. "By golly, it _is_ you! My best student! My, how you've risen through the ranks!"

"Yeah, whatever." Valkron folded his arms and made his way back to the counter.

The teacher looked as if she was torn in between talking to her old student and leading her group around the Chivalry. However, her problem was solved when the swordswoman from before detached herself from the group and ran up to Valkron, her small shoes tapping lightly on the marble.

"Thank you," she said to him.

Valkron nodded.

"No, really, I mean it." She looked down at the floor for a minute, and then continued, "I don't really think you're as good as what the others say, though. You're still some old grump, right? You just save others 'cause it's your duty, not because you care. People say you're brave and honourable and valiant, but I don't think so. You're just some down-to-earth old geezer."

After a few minutes Valkron, against all odds, smiled. "Well, that's what they say. You'll never know."

The swordswoman shrugged. "You're an old grump, all right."

The receptionist would have died of laughter at this point.

As Valkron tried not to say whatever was flooding his mind now the teacher ran up to him. "I'm sorry, Valkron, but Niki-Haru is always that outright. She likes to speak her opinion out whenever she wants to."

"Reminds me of someone I know," said Valkron, staring at her.

"Who would that be? Someone you don't like?" said Niki-Haru.

"Now, now, Niki. Stop that. Valkron is a very senior knight here. I'm sure he earned his position with hard work. Come, let's go on with the trip. We don't have all day."

"But it's nice to tell him what I really think of him," said Niki-Haru, turning her grave eyes to the teacher.

Valkron looked at the receptionist, who was still trying not to laugh. Then he said, turning back, "I don't mind. Once in a while it's good to have someone challenge me. Gives me something to think about."

The teacher looked at him. "You're the one who claimed a guild castle with--"

"--just ten people, yes," finished Valkron.

"My. That's amazing. So...would it be possible to have her," the teacher gestured at the little girl, "in your guild as a placement? It's temporary, of course."

Valkron stared at Niki-Haru. She stared back.

"Well, I don't mind," he said, eventually. "We're still recruiting people as it is, but other than that and the War of Emperium we've really got nothing else to do. People are chasing us off the normal work lists."

"Oh, thank you, Valkron!" said the teacher, clasping her hands gratefully. "Thank you so much!"

"What? I don't want to be with this old guy!" protested the girl.

"Well, being in his guild will teach you some proper manners and how to make it in this world," said the teacher a little severely. "Sometimes you need a bit of reining in. Now, let's go and continue the trip. The others are waiting for us."

As the protesting girl was led away the receptionist leaned over the counter and said, "Were you just joking?"

"Me? Joke? Whatever for?" Valkron turned back and watched the teacher usher them out of the hallway and into a side corridor. "I don't mind having her in my guild. She'll make me think when I'm not expecting it."

_But why?_ was the thought nagging him, long after he had returned to Repherion, by teleporting to Geffen and then using the flag to teleport himself for free. _Why did I let her in? Is it because she reminds me of Iruna?_

_No._

_Is it really because of what I said? Was I telling the truth?_

_No._

_Who are YOU to tell me no?_

_Because you know. You just don't admit._

* * *

Later that day Valkron returned to Repherion, rather annoyed he had nothing to do in the Chivalry. He nodded at Nocturne, who was sitting rather dully on the edge of the parapet that ran around the top of the castle. The patrol rotas had already been drawn up.

He was surprised to see Iruna in as well.

"I thought you had work to do," he said. They were in the kitchen, which also had a stove by now - Eni had seen to that.

"I went there and there was nothing to do," replied Iruna. "By the way, you've got a letter."

The castle had a mailbox sitting just outside the gateposts. Iruna had probably gone to have a look, and found the letter addressed to Valkron.

The knight had a look at it. "Oh, it's from the Izlude Swordsman Academy," he said, pulling off his visor and fin-like decorations. "I know what this is about."

"Why would the Swordsman Academy want you?" asked the crusader, watching him sit down and pull out a dagger from his belt. It was customary for him to have primary and secondary weapons.

"A placement," replied the knight. He slit the envelope and pulled out the contents - a single sheet of paper. His eyes ran down it. "Yes, just what I thought. She must have got back and done this fairly fast."

"Who?"

"My old teacher. We met this morning, in the Chivalry. She wanted me to take on a placement."

"Whatever for, valkron?" said Iruna, with a mystified look on her face. "We're not even that good!"

"Apparently she thinks different. A girl from there is coming here twice a week, for training and general 'manners lessons'. Her name's Niki-Haru."

"Sweet," said Iruna.

"She reminds me of _you_," said Valkron, folding up the paper. "She's got long blue hair just like yours, and she wears small angel wings behind her ears."

"Well, when she comes I'll give her a warm welcome." Iruna paused, and looked up into his face. "Did you?"

"I accepted her. Didn't say I didn't, did I?" Valkron pushed the paper back into the envelope. "And I'm being nice, which is a good thing once in a while. What are we supposed to do if we've got nothing to do at our places of work?"

The crusader shrugged. "That's what I've been wondering about, too. Everyone's gone off, save for Nocturne and Kushana. Emeth is teaching, Samaroh is training, Eni is selling, Aramithar is...uh...working, Amaru is forging, Khan is, well, being an assassin in Morroc...and we're pretty much stuck here."

Valkron rubbed the tip of his nose thoughtfully. "I'm going to go see Amaru. Maybe he might be interested in working for the Chivalry. They're out of good blacksmiths and Amaru's pretty good for his level."

* * *

The blacksmith was sitting peacefully at the side of the streets in Geffen and smoking when Valkron found him. Compared to Prontera Geffen was not as crowded, but Valkron still had difficulty looking for the blacksmith. After all, he was squatting down in the usual blacksmith fashion, not standing up. Amaru was close to six feet in height.

"Hello, Amaru. Am I disturbing you?" said Valkron, looking down at the blacksmith.

Amaru looked up at him. "No."

"Can I join you?"

"Sure."

Valkron sat down on the pavement beside him. Amaru was gazing into the distance with half-closed eyes, his cigarette drooping between his lips. He would have looked harmless if he had at least put away his right epsilon, which was over his shoulder as usual.

"Why are you sitting there with your axe?" asked the knight. "No one's going to attack you."

"Street crime going up," answered Amaru curtly. "Just being safe."

"You're going to scare off customers like that."

"Like I get any."

The tone made Valkron hesitate. "What do you mean?"

"All the blacksmiths around here are more popular than me," replied Amaru, gesturing vaguely at the city around them. "I'm not exactly a forger, Valkron."

"Yes, I know. You're much better at fighting. But the weapons you forge have a certain quality about them I don't know."

"Since when?"

"Since you repaired my sword."

Amaru was silent for a while. Then he said, "That was just lucky."

Valkron didn't press the matter. He was still cautious around the blacksmith. Amaru had not spoken about anything of his life and was still as silent and precise as usual. He never liked small talk - Valkron could tell.

They sat in the shade, watching the Geffenese go about their business. Once or twice Valkron spotted Emeth running across the street in a rather harried way.

"Amaru, what if you're seen refining a weapon?" Valkron suddenly asked.

The blacksmith stared at Valkron for a little too long. "What's it for?" he said eventually.

"To boost up your popularity."

"Like I'd get anyone."

"Look, half the people here know me, even though they don't know a place called Britoniah exists," said the knight. "I don't think many people know you, most likely because you don't talk much with others. Once and for all, let's just make good use of that little portable furnace behind you and the hammer sitting next to it. Refine my sword."

Amaru considered this for a time, biting on his cigarette. Then he said, "Okay."

Valkron, as usual, had the iron with him. He stood to the side and watched as the blacksmith got to work.

The knight did not stand for long. He went and sat down by the side of the street, looking quite casual. Amaru worked away, his aquamarine blue eyes narrowed in concentration as he heated the sword unti it was bright white, and began the complicated process of refining.

For a while no one paid any attention. Then, slowly, people began to notice the white-haired knight sitting by the side of the street. Most people thought Valkron was a strict knight commander who lived a disciplinarian life, so they were surprised to see him sitting so nonchalantly as he waited. As they watched him from across the street, whispering behind their hands, they became aware of the clinking noises nearby.

Valkron risked a glance at Amaru. The blacksmith was busy at work, not even noticing the gathering crowd. His jaw was set as he worked away, his muscles rippling. Beside him was a set of hammers, all of descending size, which he used for different purposes.

Although Amaru was not a forger by nature he was still a very dedicated one. It was as if to make up for not specialising in forging he worked hard over anything that was given to him. That was most likely why anything he made was done well. Valkron's sword had shattered when a bigfoot had hit it with its claws, and Amaru had repaired it so well that none of the scratches and notches it used to have were present.

And even better...there appeared to be no weapon that could break it. But Valkron wasn't going to risk that - rogues these days found it amusing to wield sword breakers.

Interestingly, the blacksmith had also signed his name into the blade, as required by the regulations from the Blacksmiths' Guild, an extension of the Trading Association. It was emblazoned into the base of the blade; Valkron had a hard time looking for it, because it was so small and so beautifully carved into the metal. Amaru's writing was neat, at least.

Now people were drawing closer to the place, intrigued that Valkron needed a blacksmith to help him out. The knight sighed. Hero worship had never been less unhealthy.

After a while Amaru straightened up, slightly blackened from the smoke of the fire in his furnace and sweating. He plunged the sword into a nearby barrel of water he kept aside; it spat and sizzled fiercely as it cooled. Then he pulled it out.

"How's it now?" said Valkron, getting to his feet.

"You were risking the upgrade, weren't you?" There was a hint of an admiring smile playing around the blacksmith's mouth. "You've upgraded it seven times, before it broke."

"After you repaired it so well I thought, well, if you could do such a thing you could upgrade my sword to something better, couldn't you?" said Valkron, grinning a little.

"Well, this is your eighth. Thank your lucky stars it didn't break."

"It's all to you, Amaru. How much do I owe you?"

The blacksmith opened his mouth and caught sight of Valkron's warning look. He closed his mouth, blinked, and then opened it again to say, "An honest estimate would be around twenty thousand zeny."

Valkron gaped at him. Up till then he had been 'advertising' Amaru, but this one was genuine.

"That's damn cheap! What in the world makes you place your prices so low?"

"Bad business. And I'm not crazy." Amaru knew what Valkron was doing, but he answered truthfully. "I don't charge a million just for a third upgrade."

The crowd muttered. Valkron shut his mouth and said, "A deal's a deal. Here."

Valkron knew he had succeeded. As the jingling coins changed hands a swordsman came up, a little timidly, to Amaru. "Excuse me, sir?"

"To you, I am just a blacksmith," said Amaru, looking down at him. "_I_ call _you_ sir. What can I do for you?"

"Uhm...I'd like a new sword."

"I forge anything, but on the condition you give me the items needed to make them."

"Oh, I've got them." The boy held out a small bag. "Is this enough for you?"

Valkron left the scene smiling broadly. Amaru would never run out of business again, not even if he smoked like a chimney.

* * *

Later that day he returned to the Chivalry, almost bored to death. He knew he had to make plans for the next WoE, but he couldn't do that for a whole day.

He was busy looking through reports when there was a knock on his door. Valkron looked up, frowning slightly. He had left the sign Enriel had given him outside, hanging from his door handle.

"Come in," he said.

The door opened a little and someone looked around the door. It was the receptionist.

"Sorry to disturb you, sir," she said nervously, "but there's a fight going on in the practice courts."

"What the...What about?"

"I don't know. I think you need to come and stop it. All the senior knights I've called don't care or are just watching."

Valkron swore under his breath. "Okay, hang on. I'm putting on my armour. Just in case."

He was out in a few minutes and striding down the passageways to the practice courts, his hand gripping the pommel of his sword so hard his fingers were digging into his palms. The receptionist followed at a safe distance.

He stopped short when he reached the courts. The first one had so many people crowded around it, cheering and booing, that he could barely see anything. Considering that Valkron was only five foot fourteen he had no choice but to push through the mass of people. They let him through with barely a glance at him.

Once he had got through he focused on the duelling knights.

He stared.

It was Corporal Inigo and Sagna. Again. But this time the corporal was fighting with a ferocity Valkron had hitherto not seen.

The commander watched carefully. Sagna was, as usual, as efficient as ever. Corporal Inigo still found his spear a problem, for the younger knight wielded it well and fast. But the corporal was getting angrier, and the angrier he got the more reckless and uncontrollable he became. Valkron knew that. News got around fast in the tiny world that was the Chivalry, and a knight who didn't keep up with the news was a dead knight.

Sagna swept the spear in an arc in front of him. As Inigo stepped sideways the younger knight changed direction and whacked him in the back. Inigo growled and lunged, barely missing Sagna's ribs by an inch.

The rookie knight darted forward. There was a rip; the spearhead had torn through the corporal's cloak. A little more to the right and Sagna would have grazed the corporal's waist.

Inigo snarled incoherently. Sagna skidded backwards as Inigo's sword lunged out at him, but Inigo was not done. He lashed out with his foot. The metal shoe hit the side of Sagna's knee.

Valkron winced at the _crack_ that echoed around the court, and he wasn't the only one. Inigo stepped back, smirking as Sagna fell to one knee, his eyes wide open. He was shaking.

"Do you want to brag now?" said the corporal. "Or do you still want to fight? Maybe I should stop you, shouldn't I?"

Valkron's hand tightened on his sword. Inigo kicked out at Sagna's face.

In five seconds the fight was over. Inigo stood stock still. It was that or risk slicing his throat on Valkron's blade.

"Enough, corporal," said Valkron. "You are a knight. By all rights fight unfairly, but when your opponent is at a disadvantage even a knight must show honour. A rogue has more dignity than you. Stand down."

Inigo did not move.

"I said stand down. Your tutor will hear no end of this if you don't." Valkron angled his sword a little; the light played along the blade. "Do it, or I'll force you to do it with my sword."

Very slowly Inigo backed off. Sagna was still writhing on the ground, cursing in a soft voice and clutching at his nose. Valkron pulled him up to his feet, wincing at the sight of the blood running through his fingers.

"Get to the infirmary before that nose gets any worse," said Valkron. "Go. Someone accompany him and make sure he doesn't faint on the way. Or leave a trail of blood, in this case."

Another rookie knight detached himself from the crowd and went with Sagna. The silent crowd parted to let them pass.

"All of you, get back to you work," said Valkron to the court in general. "_Not you, corporal_. You're staying. I want to _talk_ to you. The rest of you, go. This fight is over."

The crowd dispersed, muttering as they went. Valkron ignored this and turned straight to Inigo.

"What's this now, corporal?" he said sharply. "Trying to get back at him because you're not up to par?"

"He insulted me, sir," said Inigo.

"He insulted you? I tell you this, corporal," Valkron leaned towards Inigo, who leaned back, "Sagna may be brash and young, but he knows who his superiors are and he's got a sense of respect."

Inigo's violet eyes met Valkron's fierce green irises. "You're just saying that because he was your old student."

"Oh, is that so?" said Valkron. "Incidentally, Inigo, he used to curse me as much as he cursed you, if he did. I know it. No, after the time of the portal he's changed. He didn't do it for my sake, either."

"Favouritism isn't fair, si--"

"Favouritism? _Favouritism?_ A rookie like him who gets a regular cuffing just like all the rest and gets a good verbal earful almost every day of the week is a favourite of mine? I tell you, no one here is a favourite of mine. Sagna may have saved me once before, but it does not give me reason to make him," Valkron spat,"my pet. He knows that as well. And if you think that taking out your anger on him is a good way of attracting attention to yourself, let's just say after I talk to your tutor that is not going to happen in the near future. Where is he, coporal?"

"Right behind you, sir," said Inigo. And, yes, there _was_ a smirk on his face.

Valkron turned around. He came face to face with _another_ white-haired knight.

"Ah," said Valkron. "Second Lieutenant Kuroihi."

The knight in front of him nodded briefly. "I hear you want to talk to me?"

Valkron raised an eyebrow. "Yes, I did. Would you mind having a word with me in private?"

"If it's about my student," said Kuroihi, "then I would like Inigo to listen to it as well. After all, he has a right to know."

Valkron closed his eyes and snorted. "Is it because he's your student? Or is it because you are both members of the Black Cross?"

There was silence. Then Kuroihi said, "Leave us, Inigo."

The corporal walked off. Valkron faced Kuroihi alone now, although some senior knights were still watching them from a distance.

The commander disliked Kuroihi as much as he disliked Inigo. The second lieutenant was distinguished by his long white hair, similar to Amaru's, along with the black blindfold around his eyes. Unlike Iruna, who wore it only for training, Kuroihi wore his because he was well and truly blind. He had lost his sight during a raid by the Turtle General in Comodo. Rumours said his eyes had been mutilated so badly he had to keep them covered so that people were not frightened by the sight of his face.

Because of his loss of sight he had to be transferred. Originally Kuroihi had been a mercenary knight, like Valkron, but now he worked as a logistics officer in the Mercenary Department, Military Division. By rights he was supposed to be Valkron's superior, but the older knight's capabilities had given him a speedy promotion to commander. The rest of it was history.

Even so, Valkron knew how acute people's concentration could get when they could not see. He had learned a lot from Iruna.

"What is it, Valkron?" said Kuroihi curtly.

"What exactly do you teach Inigo?" said Valkron quietly. "You teach him to take advantage of a downed opponent?"

"You should know, Valkron," said Kuroihi coldly, "that no one gives a chance to a downed opponent. I bet not even you. You'd plunge your sword in the first chance you get when they fall."

"Oh? That was a rookie he just fought. Even _I_ give a rookie a chance. If it was for a man like you," Valkron grinned mirthlessly, "then I wouldn't."

"Are you saying you'd give a swordsman the chance to kill you?"

"I did, once."

There was silence. Although Kuroihi stayed blank most of the time he could make the temperature around him drop when he wanted to. Valkron was feeling it now.

"And?"

"I'm still here, aren't I? I didn't kill him, if that's what you're asking."

Kuroihi stayed silent again. Then he said, "Inigo does what he wants. He is a corporal, and already a graduate. If Sagna cannot respect him, then that is his problem, not mine."

"The young must respect the old," said Valkron softly. "In return we must respect them for being wise."

At this Kuroihi's mouth twisted. "Are you siding him?"

"I don't side anyone, Kuroihi," said Valkron. "The only person I side is myself. I don't favour anyone, nor do I despise anyone. Even though I dislike talking to you - as you should know - I still do it anyway, even if I don't want to and even if I'm not forced to. I don't ever want to see this or hear this happening again, Kuroihi. Make sure you rein Inigo in, or both of you will be martialled and facing the judges of Prontera Court."

Valkron turned on his heel and strode off, leaving the second lieutenant standing in the middle of the practice court. Inigo was watching from the shadows of the pavilion around the court.

Suddenly Kuroihi said, "I understand, Valkron. However, I think maybe that it is time for you to realise that you are not as powerful as you think you are. I challenge you, Knight Commander Valkron of the Mercenary Knights' Battalion."

There was a gasp from around the court, from the remaining knights. Valkron stopped and turned. Kuroihi had given him a proper duelling challenge.

What did he have at stake now? No one would care if he turned it down. As a knight commander he could reject it and ignore them.

But something told him that this was not going to be a duel between a knight commander and a second lieutenant. This was going to be a duel between the guild leader of the Raulus and a very senior member of the guild council of the Black Cross.

Valkron smiled. It had been a long time since someone had challenged him like that. Now he had a chance to put all his training into good use.

"I accept your challenge, Second Lieutenant Kuroihi of the Mercenary Department." He drew his sword; it slid out with a gleam. Light ran along its blade as he raised it and pointed it straight at Kuroihi. "Let this be a fair fight. Now."


	14. The Death Knight

Chapter 14

**The Death Knight**

Iruna walked around Repherion for want of something to do. Like Valkron, she too was involved in administration work in the Junoan Church - as a sergeant-at-arms she was supposed to. But for some odd reason suddenly she didn't have any work.

She ended up in the stables outside the castle, where she rubbed down her peco. It closed its eyes as it enjoyed the attention.

After a while someone poked his head into the stable. Iruna recognised it as Emeth.

"Hello there," she said, banging the large comb she was using to separate her peco's feathers on the side of the stable. "You're back early."

Emeth waited for her to finish cleaning it out, and then replied, "They let me off early. I was spending my time running up and down Geffen."

"Why?"

The wizard sighed. "Had to get ingredients for new spells from the apothecary."

"New spells?" Iruna straightened up as her peco honked softly. "Why is everyone suddenly researching magic?"

"Well, for lots of reasons." Emeth entered the stable and leaned on the wall. "But mainly it's because...have you heard of the many kinds of magic?"

"No, not really."

"There's been a lot of different sorts in this world ever since it was born," said the wizard. "Amongst them storm magic, ancient holy magic, infernal magic and heaven magic were some particularly notable ones. People have been researching them on the basis that if we master them we can cause more damage during wars."

"The only one I've ever heard of is storm magic," said Iruna, raising an eyebrow. "But surely you can't mean to utilise them? They're either too difficult to learn or were long forbidden."

"Infernal magic is forbidden," corrected Emeth. "I don't intend to utilise storm or heaven magic, actually. No living wizard, not even the best, can use them. Heaven magic is simply using the strength of the gods in magic form, and storm magic is using the power of the earth. No thanks."

"Ancient holy magic...now that's something I haven't heard of."

"Really? Priests of the old ages used to cast it. It's more powerful than the standard spells you get these days, and ancient holy magic could exorcise some of the most powerful demons as well as resurrect the dead. It's all lost, though."

"But why would you want to research them if there is no one strong enough to use them?"

Emeth shrugged. "For future generations, I suppose. Actually, why are _you_ here?"

"I've got nothing to do. Neither has Valkron, actually, but he's gone back to check on any work he has to do. He's probably signing off reports or something now, but he'll be back."

"Oh, aren't we pathetic?" said the wizard in a sarcastic tone. "Lounging around here with nothing to do...there had better not be anyone blaming us for slacking off."

"I don't think they would," said Iruna, but she was interrupted by a shouting from the gates of Repherion.

After a few minutes a rather dishevelled Samaroh rounded the corner and sprinted towards the two of them. He had apparently enhanced his speed to helo him.

"What is it, Samaroh?" said Iruna, blinking at him.

The priest came to a stop just outside the stable and tried to catch his breath. But this didn't stop him from trying to talk.

"Y...You need to...get to Prontera..." he panted. "Get to...the Chivalry..."

"Why? What's happened?" asked Emeth, getting off the stable wall.

"Valkron...he's..."

"He's what?" said Iruna, panicking slightly. "Is he okay? WHat's happened to him?"

Samaroh took a deep breath and let it all out. "He's fighting another knight in the Chivalry!"

"Probably training," said Emeth dismissively.

"No, it isn't!" Samaroh groaned in exasperation. "It's a challenge! He's accepted a duelling challenge!"

Emeth and Iruna exchanged glances. Then Iruna said, "Samaroh, get us there. Now."

* * *

By the time they had reached the Chivalry there was a crowd amassing at the entrance, buzzing with curiosity and interest. Iruna, a crusader who had often got through crowds like this using her great armour, shoved her way through. She was closely followed by Emeth, Samaroh, Kushana and Nocturne. The two hunters had demanded that they come along as well, and besides no one was going to invade Repherion while they were away, simply because they could not.

They made their way to the practice court, where the crowd stood the thickest. Iruna pushed her way through, and people parted without complaining. No one dared to argue with a crusader.

Valkron was facing another knight they did not know. This particular knight had long white hair, and he was wearing a black blindfold along with a pair of black cat ears. Both of them were wielding two-handed swords, and both were just standing at opposite ends of the court.

Valkron gripped his sword and focused on the knight. The other knight did the same.

"Who the heck is that?" whispered Emeth.

"Hello."

They turned to look at a young, familiar knight with chestnut brown hair on a crutch. A bandage rested on the bridge of his nose.

"Sagna?" said Iruna in surprise. "What happened to you?"

"I got beaten up by Corporal Inigo," the rookie said sourly. He pointed at a green-haired knight watching the two knights. "And that's his tutor over there, Second Lieutenant Kuroihi."

"Why is he fighting with Valkron?" asked Nocturne, as curious as ever.

"Don't know. I was in the infirmary when he made the challenge."

The two knights gazed at each other. In the silence a pin would have clanged.

Kuroihi sprinted forth. Valkron leapt forward. They met in the middle, their swords reverberating as they clashed. The light of the sinking sun flashed along the blades as they threw each other off.

Kuroihi circled Valkron slowly. The knight commander watched him warily, turning slowly with him.

The lieutenant blurred. Valkron leapt back and knocked the incoming sword away. Kuroihi swung it back down, only to meet Valkron's sword coming the other way. The sound of metal against metal clanged in the silence; both of them skidded backwards a little from the impact.

Kuroihi leapt forward again, his feet slipping slightly on the sandy floor. Valkron gripped his sword and deflected the blow, but Kuroihi did not stop. He jabbed his sword at Valkron; the older knight swept aside, Kuroihi's blade barely an inch from his chest.

There was a pause. The sand had barely settled when Kuroihi lunged forward. Valkron ducked while sweeping his blade up to meet Kuroihi's sword. As if in a rage the lieutenant unleashed a flurry of swiping, back and forth. Valkron ducked and jerked backwards until about the fifth or sixth swipe; his sword met Kuroihi's in mid-swipe at that point.

Metal grated along metal. Kuroihi was using a masamune - a sword designed to cut through the air as fast as possible. Valkron, however, preferred longswords most of the time, the advantage being they were stronger and harder to push away. And he knew it, as he fought, that he had the advantage because of that.

Kuroihi stumbled backwards, but he deflected a blow to his arm. Valkron lunged at him. Kuroihi stepped aside; Valkron twisted his hand and aimed his sword at the lieutenant's shoulder. The younger knight speedily blocked it.

Valkron had not fought with Kuroihi before, but he could see that the lieutenant was a difficult opponent. Kuroihi moved like a whirlwind; sure, he did not fight gracefully, but grace was hardly needed in any fight. His sword whirled around almost uncontrollably, but Valkron could see the diversionary tactics being used. Even though he knew the lieutenant was using them all he could do at this stage was play along.

Kuroihi darted forward, aiming for Valkron. Valkron leapt aside, almost dully, and elbowed the knight in the back. As Kuroihi staggered Valkron kicked his legs out from under him.

The crowd gasped. Kuroihi quickly shoved himself upright as he fell and whirled around. Valkron's eyes narrowed in concentration; he swept out with his sword. Kuroihi whacked it away and backed away.

Everyone watched the two knights as they circled each other like wolves getting ready to tear out each other's throats. Kuroihi turned his head a little from side to side as if sniffing the air; Valkron gritted his teeth in concentration.

Suddenly the two knights threw themselves forward. Sand rose into the air, and people backed off, coughing. There was the sound of metal shoes sliding and grinding across the sandy floor, and metal clashing against metal. Then the cloud thinned, and the two of them emerged backwards, breathing heavily.

Valkron focused on Kuroihi. The lieutenant was indeed an efficient fighter. The speed at which he moved was incredible, and sometimes even Valkron found it hard to block Kuroihi. The man was _good_.

For some reason the lieutenant was grinning. Valkron frowned a little, before he felt a sliver of pain run down his left cheek. He put his hand up to it instinctively and winced.

There was a gasp, and a smattering of applause from the crowd. First blood. And Kuroihi had been so fast the cut had not had time to open until both of them had stopped moving.

"Go, Kuroihi!" shouted someone from the crowd. There was a cheer.

Valkron looked at the tips of hs gloved fingers. The dark stains of his blood glistened on the leather.

_He's good, I grant you that_, said a voice in his head. _Sure you can make it?_

No. Valkron was not sure. Kuroihi was not as old as him, and so had an advantage. _He_ had to suffer from the effects of age.

_Need me?_ chuckled the little voice.

Valkron's eyes narrowed.

_You think I'm that desperate?_ he growled in his mind. _No. I don't need you. I've got a better weapon than you._

Kuroihi was playing games with him. He was teasing Valkron like a cat played with a mouse before killing it. Valkron knew what kind of person Kuroihi was, and there was one thing Kuroihi was famous for - the fact that he had a mind that could bargain.

Right. Playtime was over.

Valkron's visor thudded into the sand. There was a collective gasp, but the knight did not care. All he saw, now, was Kuroihi.

It was as if the clouds were gathering over the court. Emeth later swore that he saw Valkron's face darkening; Iruna did not say anything, but she knew it did happen.

Kuroihi smirked. It was just for a moment; he blurred in the next. But Valkron had gone, too, running towards the knight. For a moment they looked as if they were about to collide, and then Valkron swerved away and swung his sword.

Kuroihi jerked his head away, but it was too late. A few strands of his long white hair near his face flew into the air. Kuroihi groped at it, and then had to duck as the commander swiped at him in a wide arc.

Valkron pulled back his sweeping blow and swung his sword around. The hilt slammed into Kuroihi's jaw. He was thrown off his feet, crashing bodily on the ground a few metres away.

Kuroihi got back up, rubbing his chin. Valkron whirled his sword in both hands, faster and faster until it was a flashing, blurred circle. Kuroihi sprinted forward.

There were gasps and a few short screams as Valkron hit the knight with full force. Kuroihi slammed into a pillar so hard that it cracked slightly. Valkron took a step forward, his eyes so narrowed that they were emeralds set in his face in the growing dark. His jaw set.

Kuroihi charged forward again. Valkron struck out. If Kuroihi had not ducked in time he would have lost his head.

The lieutenant blurred again, but Valkron saw through it. The older knight threw him off and brought the pommel down onto Kuroihi's back. The lieutenant grunted involuntarily in pain and kicked viciously at Valkron's ankle, causing him to stagger.

The knight commander swiftly regained his balance. His sword met Kuroihi's blade coming the other way, and this time the lieutenant had to stagger back, clutching his hand as his masamune vibrated horribly.

Kuroihi snarled incoherently and lunged again. Valkron parried the blow and darted forward. Kuroihi jerked back and swiped at him, but the blow missed. Now the commander was pushing the lieutenant back, all the way to the other end of the court.

Abruptly Valkron took a step forward. Kuroihi tried to defend himself, but Valkron launched so many blows no one could see them. Kuroihi fended them off and lunged again. At that point, a lot happened.

And then, something flew into the air, glimmering in the light of the sunset. It clanged on the floor and slid right to the other end of the court, where Iruna, Emeth, Kushana, Samaroh and Nocturne were standing.

It was Kuroihi's masamune.

The dust cleared. Kuroihi was sprawled on the ground on his back, panting and facing the point of Valkron's sword. It was two inches from his face.

After a few minutes Valkron withdrew his sword and sheathed it. He turned and walked over to where his things lay, still in the same position where he had thrown them down. Picking them up with one hand,he strode across the court to the other end, where the crowd hurriedly parted way for the steely eyed knight. He disappeared into the shadows of the Chivalry, leaving a stunned crowd and a very shocked Kuroihi still sprawled on the ground.

* * *

Iruna, Emeth, Kushana, Nocturne and Samaroh made their way back to the castle, where they related what they saw to the rest of the guild, everyone gathering in the kitchen. When they were halfway through the story Valkron walked in.

Samaroh dropped his book.

"Oh, hi, Valkron," said Iruna," quickly getting to her feet.

The knight gazed at them. His eyes were still the same - hard and sharp. Emeth backed off; Amaru moved his chair away from him. The cut on his face was still there, but now crusted with dried blood. There was a small bloodstain still on his face.

"Did you get that cut seen to, or not?" asked Nocturne, in the silence.

Valkron did not say anything.

Iruna approached him cautiously and reached out to touch Valkron's face. Apart from his eyes sliding to one side to look at her he did not move. Greatly encouraged by this, she took a deep breath and concentrated. White light radiated from her open palm.

The cut healed, vanishing as the flesh closed up. The bloodstains on his face disappeared. Soon there was no evidence that he had ever had a cut on his face.

And with the cut, his animal-like look in his eyes disappeared. He blinked, once or twice, and then relaxed. The others, seeing that he was no longer angry, relaxed too.

"Thank you, Iruna," he said, sitting down tiredly. He had been carrying his visor and its decorations under his arm; these he now placed on the table. "Your heal cooled me off."

"You know, you should tell people when you're going to pull off something like that," she said, sitting down as well. She put a hand on his arm. "Give yourself a break. That was some hard fighting."

"You were there?"

"Of course we were there," said Emeth. "Samaroh here works in Prontera too, you know."

"Hey, that doesn't mean I'm going to be your Pronteran spy," retorted the priest, picking up his book from the floor. "I just heard it on the street, that's all."

"You'll make a pretty good street urchin any day," replied Emeth. Everyone laughed. It was either that or collapse with nervousness.

"Oh, yeah, very funny. Make fun of the priest, huh..."

"That was some of the best fighting I've ever seen," said Nocturne earnestly. "I never knew you could fight like that."

"He's a real warrior, that's why," remarked Eni. "Now, you..._you_ need some improvement."

"I agree," said Khan, clapping a slowly reddening Nocturne on the back. "You do need some work on your trapping skills, boy."

Iruna laughed and looked back at Valkron. "Still...you knew it would be dangerous."

The noise in the room died away. Everyone was looking at the knight.

"Yeah, I know," said Valkron slowly, gazing at the table. "It could have been bloodier."

"But you didn't let it," said Emeth, who was leaning against the stone wall. "You honoured the fight, that was why. No kicking people in the shins, no fooling around."

"And you prevented your anger from getting the better side of you," said Samaroh.

Valkron looked up at them. "I won't do that again," he said. "I swear on that. May Odin strike me down if I don't keep that promise. Besides...I'm never going to accept a duelling challenge again."

"Why did you accept Kuroihi's, then?" asked Aramithar.

Valkron looked down at the table again. "Because when he challenged me, he used the words of a knight's challenge. But in reality it was a fight between guilds. Guild member versus guild member. If you haven't noticed, I'm counted as a guild member too."

"The Black Cross is _challenging_ us?" breathed Eni. "Oh, no...Odin save us."

"I doubt it'll be over," said Emeth, shaking his head. "Kuroihi will get reprimanded by Vineis, Vineis will want to challenge you again, Kuroihi will be after your neck, Inigo will want to get revenge...believe me, we're making enemies faster than you can say 'Bring it on.'"

"I wouldn't say that," said a voice from the doorway of the kitchen. Everyone looked up to see Adiemus leaning casually on the door frame.

"Adiemus?" said Valkron. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I want to congratulate you, Valkron. Again. And this time say hello to Alya."

The sage waved at Valkron, who was gaping. Raven was with Adiemus too.

"Is it me, or are the guild leaders coming in one by one to have a go at shaking my hand?" asked the knight.

The sage came in. She was recognisable by her cropped hair, which curled in around her jaw save for her fringe, which turned outwards and covered one of her eyes. She was not sexy, but she was certainly sweet. Her purple hair was thick and glossy.

"You're not making enemies that fast," she said. "News gets around faster in the kingdom. The other guilds are picking you up as an ally in their campaign against the Black Cross, and I'm not surprised. You've turned down Vineis, you've smart-mouthed Sheuth, you've scolded Inigo and now you've humiliated Kuroihi. I'm amazed. All these people are senior members of the Black Cross and you've put them off."

"I smart-mouthed Sheuth? Who said so? Did I?" asked Valkron, looking around at his guild. They shook their heads, looking as mystified as he felt.

"Really? Then the rumours must be getting embroidered faster than they're getting around." Alya brushed her fringe out of her eyes. "Well, that aside, I'd like to shake your hand. if you don't mind."

"You mean if his girlfriend doesn't mind," said Emeth, grinning.

"Emeth, one more time and you're getting it" said Valkron, without looking at him. "Well, I can't say no, can't I? We're still a small guild as it is, and saying no will mean we're dead."

"Nice to see a leader who thinks before he does anything," said Alya. She shook hands with him. "It's an honour to meet you."

"Okay, Adiemus, don't tell me the next time you come you're bringing in the leader of Apocalypse Ultima, whoever he is," said Valkron, sitting back down.

"Him? Oh, no. He says when the time is right he'll come along and shake your hand for himself." Adiemus shared a smile with his fellow guild leaders. "I'm surprised. It's only been a day or so since the WoE and you're already making a name for yourself. What's your plans for the next WoE?"

"Do I need to tell you?" asked Valkron shrewdly. Alya and Raven laughed at Adiemus' expression.

"He's got a point there, mate," said the rogue, slapping Adiemus on the back and then absently shaking the blood back into his hand. "I say, Valkron - the word on Prontera's streets is quite disturbing. 'Specially the one about you."

"What is it now?"

"They say something they haven't seen in thousands of years or so has returned," said Alya, winking at Raven. "Oooh...fear is rampant in the streets now. All you have to do is walk down them and every criminal will be hiding from you."

"What?" said Valkron.

"All the rogues of the Brotherhood think that you should be honoured," said Raven, grinning. "Every single one of them. You've come to earn respect from the Brotherhood, which is a good thing. The Assassins' Guild in Morroc is getting a bit afraid of you, too."

"They say you've got a grip over your matters like steel, and you're as straight as an arrow," said Alya. "Knights across the kingdom are saying you're a warrior worthy of the Chivalry. And the other associations are beginning to see Prontera as a potential place to train excellent warriors. All because of you."

"What? What?" said Valkron, looking between them. "What are you talking about?"

Adiemus leaned forward. "When you trained yourself, Valkron, what did you aim for?"

Valkron stared at him. "Um...to be efficient in terms of speed, strength, accuracy and knowledge. Why?"

The three guild leaders exchanged looks. Then Alya said, "You're fast, strong and spot on. You're a master at swordsmanship and equally good at spearmanship, even though you don't like the spear. You're good at fighting against monsters and people alike, and you've proved yourself a formidable force in WoE. You train so much you're one of the strongest knights in the kingdom. You can solo your way through almost every dungeon in the land."

"You're what they call a death knight, Valkron," said Raven. "In other words. We haven't had one of those ever since the time of the Old Empire. The leader of the Fair Wardens was known that too. A versatile, all-rounder knight capable of almost everything...that's a death knight."

Valkron gaped at them. Then he said, "And I'm one?"

"Yep," said Raven.

"Come on, man, I can't be that good," said the knight. "I'm getting old, and eventually I'll have to step down. I don't...I'm not as fearsome as that name sounds."

"It isn't a name, Valkron," said Adiemus. "It's a special kind of knight."

"A very special one," said Alya.

It was Iruna who came to Valkron's rescue. "Even if he is, he still needs a break. It's nice meeting you all, but frankly he's just returned from a grilling fight. Let him rest. Come on."

She saw them out, while Valkron stared after them. When she came back he was still staring blankly at the opposite wall.

"Come on, Valkron," she said softly. "Let's go up to the rooms. You need to rest, and you know it."

Valkron looked into Iruna's brown eyes and sighed, but he smiled too. "Okay. I think I need it, anyway."

* * *

Vineis said nothing. He had stayed completely silent throughout Kuroihi's explanation of the events that had transpired that day. Now the members of the guild council were waiting for him to say something.

"Well, I did not expect Valkron to be that good," he said, eventually. "Frankly I'm surprised that an old knight such as he could fight so well. There's more than meets the eye, hm?"

"This has got to end!" said Kuroihi. His back was still aching from Valkron's Bowling Bash. "We can't have someone like him going around taking our crown from us--"

"Who said he was going to take our crown?" said Vineis quietly. Kuroihi fell silent.

Vineis got to his feet and looked around the dim room. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have a fierce opponent worthy of challenging us. We should not turn down this opportunity to show our power to the kingdom! In response to Kuroihi's challenge Valkron is challenging us to step back and make way for the lesser guilds! But we will not, as we have always done. There is nothing to worry about. The Raulus may be gathering followers now, but we are, and will always be, the Black Cross - the most powerful guild in all of Rune-Midgard."

There was a murmur of general agreement before the sound of chairs scraping was heard as they were pushed backwards and their hidden occupants left the room.

Vineis looked at Kuroihi after everyone had gone. The knight was still simmering.

"Calm down, Kuroihi," he said. "You will get your chance to humiliate Valkron, one day. We all will. And when we get it, we will take it for ourselves and turn the tables."

The wizard walked off towards another door. When he was right in front of it he stopped. "I let you go this time, Kuroihi," he said quietly. "But next time...I will not be so merciful on you. Dismissed."

The second lieutenant strode off, wincing occasionally as his back made itself felt. Valkron would _pay_ for this.

* * *

Somewhere in Prontera Castle the sage Seyren lit another candle to keep the growing darkness at bay and opened a large, rather dusty book. He scanned it carefully, and then shut it.

In the silence he moved to a shelf and slotted it back into its place. His hand snaked through the air and took another by the spine. He looked down at it, tracing the gilded runes on the cover with a finger almost lovingly.

It read _The Laws and Ordinances of Rune-Midgard's Guilds._

Seyren smiled. This book had been his friend. He had used it, countless times, in the Prontera Court. With it he had the power to disband a guild, and the authority to approve a guild. It contained rules and regulations of the formation and etiquette of guilds, dating back from hundreds of years ago.

He took it to his desk and sat down, flipping through its pages. On his table there was another book open, with quill lying on its open pages. Written on its pages was a long list of guilds that had been forced to disband, along with the reasons why. These reasons were often backed by clauses from _The Laws and Ordinances_, so the resulting lists were thick with runes, all written down in Seyren's spidery handwriting.

The sage picked up the quill and scanned the page that was half-filled in front of him. His quill hovered just above the page, following his eyes as he read.

The last guild that had been disbanded was the El Midor.

Seyren looked at the name, and then turned his eyes on the reasons and the clauses.

"'Reason(s): Endless cheating during War of Emperium'," he muttered. "'Bribing of leader by members. Encouraging corruption. Evidence: Chapter Thirty-Four, Section Thirteen, Sub-Section Forty-Two, Under _Charges_; Chapter Sixty-Eight, Section Twenty, Sub-Section Eleven, Under _Community_; also broken Law Fifty-Nine, _The Laws and Ordinances_'."

Seyren had no competition with his job. He enjoyed being a Guild Correspondent. Not many people liked the idea of sitting in a dark, musty room filing offences and charging guilds, but that was nothing compared to the places he had been to for the sake of his job.

He smiled as he scribbled something under the column labelled 'Guild Name'. Then he moved to the 'Reason(s)' column.

"Undermining of the society," he muttered, flipping through the book. "Destruction of morale to other guilds. Underhand tactics deployed during WoE. Dishonour towards less able individuals. Too bad they don't have a law against just being a bastard to the community."

He scribbled them down, and then glanced over it. By the looks of it the rest of the column would be filled just by the offences committed by the guild. He sighed and turned the page. That would come later.

Once again he scribbled something under the 'Guild Name' column. Then he looked through _The Laws and Ordinances_ again.

There was only one charge he could put to this guild, so far, and he doubted he would be able to put down anymore. He checked his book and found it under Chapter Fifty-Two, Section Two, Sub-Section Fourteen, Under...wait.

Seyren took a closer look at it. The list actually went longer than he had expected. The actual one was Chapter Fifty-Two, Section Two, Sub-Section Fourteen, ref. Law Five, Category A, Subdivision Three.

It was a law, not a clause. Seyren raised an eyebrow and looked up Law Five under the Laws section.

He stared at it for a long while. Then he shut the book and pushed it aside.

"This guild is in trouble, isn't it?" he said, staring at the remaining open book. "Law Five is Class A, Rank 7. This is enough to destroy an entire guild."

After a few minutes he shrugged and wrote it down. No one would know that he had written it down, as he was the only one with the key to his room. The book would always be kept safely in the wall, behind a few loose bricks, until it was time to charge the guild. Then he would be called to court and he would present the incriminating evidence that would completely remove a guild from existence.

But for now, Seyren lived his life as a socialising, constantly-on-the-move Guild Correspondent who couldn't be less knowledgeable. Given the fact that it was only to others that he drawled and lazed about, he had no problem being that way. Surprisingly people told him more than he expected because of that.

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Forgot to add till now: I'm placing little clues into the story that will shed some light on 1) the ending of Flight of the Phoenix, and 2) what will happen afterwards. If you like you can spend some time looking through the story for them, but I doubt you'll be able to find them. I applaud you if you can.

Oh, and for those who are not so RO savvy, the Death Knight is actually the name for a hybrid Knight build that is fast becoming popular in the game because it is the most versatile build. Valkron is just a practical, realistic example of this - a well-trained war veteran and knight commander.


	15. New Enemies?

Chapter 15

**New Enemies?**

The next War of Emperium session was approaching, and fast. Valkron secretly wished that the arrangements had not been so cramped - he hardly had any time to plan, as it is.

"Good news," he said, looking through the map of Britoniah the night before the next War of Emperium. "We're not going to be focusing on Britoniah all the time."

"What do you mean?" asked Eni, as she stroked Fluffball. The white rabbit was snuggled into her lap and fast asleep. Beside her Aramithar read a book without as much as a glance up.

"I mean that we may move to another guild area. I'm planning on Payon." Valkron folded away the section of the map that showed Yesnelph, Bergel and Eyorbriggar. "But first we'll take another castle to secure our...um..."

"Dominance," suggested Iruna, who was cleaning her sword in a corner of the kitchen.

"...dominance, thank you."

"But we're still with ten members, Valkron," said Nocturne, who had just walked in. He spun a chair around by its frame until its back was facing the table and sat down. "We can't hold off invading guilds _and_ invade other castles at the same time."

"I know," said Valkron, after staring at the hunter for longer than was necessary.

"We should recruit more guild members and hold our ground first for this round," said Samaroh, looking up from his book. "But the problem is that we don't really have people eager to come and join us."

"I know," said Valkron, turning his map around to look at it better.

"So how do we do it, if no one wants to join?" asked Eni, looking up.

"I'm not being stupid, you know." The knight sat down and flicked dust off the map. "You can all stop having a go at me. I put up notices in Prontera and Geffen."

"The guild recruitment boards?" said Khan, looking up from watching Amaru sharpen an axe. "Sometimes they don't work. People just paste their notices on top of other notices, and at the same time they get pasted on."

"And what's your point?" asked Valkron, not looking up from the map.

"We'll get ignored."

Kushana poked her head around the door of the kitchen then. "Hello? Valkron? You'd better get out there now, people want to see you."

"People?" said Valkron, still not looking up.

"Yes. Parties. Lots."

"Not guild leaders? Frankly, I'm fed up of guild leaders coming in here uninvited just to shake my hand."

"Not guild leaders."

"Okay, I'm going. Just give me a few minutes."

After Kushana disappeared Valkron got to his feet and shut the door. "I wish Emeth would talk to her."

"Why?" said Samaroh. "Why would he, anyway? He's a cut above us, and that's clearly so."

"Samaroh, if you say that again in my life, in front of me, I will make sure you pay for it," warned Valkron. "It's just sad. Every time she talks he doesn't look at her or answer her. And more or less, whenenver she's around, he excuses himself out of her sight."

"And why are you taking off a few minutes from recruiting potential guild members?" asked Iruna.

Valkron looked at her. She looked back innocently.

After a few minutes of silence the knight visibly deflated and went out. Iruna smiled as the others behind her chuckled.

Valkron wasn't expecting the mass of people standing outside the gates. For a time he dealt with them, until it was close to midnight. Then they shut the gates, the night patrols took over and the Raulus guild went to bed with an extra twenty new members under its belt.

* * *

"Twenty people? _Twenty?_"

"What's wrong with you, Emeth?" said Valkron indignantly. "What's wrong with twenty?"

"Why so few?"

"Now, now, come on," said Iruna, patting the wizard on the shoulder. "Valkron has to be reasonable. He can't just let people he doesn't know join." She looked at the knight in the eye. "You _do_ know the people you let in, don't you?"

"If I didn't know them would I have even let them cross the threshold?" came the answer.

"See?"

"But...but..." Emeth looked agonised.

Valkron put an arm around his shoulders. "I know what you're going to say," he said calmly. "You're going to say, 'Then why didn't you get more people from last night, if you knew them so well?' Am I right?"

"Um...yes. Something on the lines of that."

"The reason being, that was the number of people I knew last night that were around." Valkron straightened up. "But I bet we'll be seeing more of the people we used to know soon enough. After all...this is only a small kingdom."

Emeth sighed. "You know, I should have never brought this up in the first place."

"Yeah, well, I'm getting used to people who do." Valkron turned around. "Nocturne! Get out on the parapet now!"

Although the next War of Emperium session was in the afternoon they went around making preparations early in the morning. They had received, amongst the Guild Approval stamp, several other privileges, and there were discussions amongst themselves on this.

"Do you think we should ask for a Kafra?" asked Iruna. "We could always do with some free warping and storage."

"Oh yeah? You could be very well asking me to employ guardians, and then we'll be chopping the heads off our allies."

"I didn't mean-- what?"

"Guardians don't care who your allies are," supplied Emeth. "Valkron told me a few days ago. They don't think. They're just there to fight."

"Oh." Iruna blinked, and then pulled herself together. "But it's not that similar, is it?"

"There are other guild features I'm waiting for," said Valkron, before Emeth could answer. "A guild is, in a sense, like a living creature. It has its own gifts as we take care of it, and in exchange for the maintenance it rewards us..."

"I didn't know you thought like that," said Emeth, after a while.

"I don't, I'm just quoting." Valkron felt the edge of his sword. "Good, it's still sharp. Well, personally I don't believe in all that 'Midgard is a living thing, don't harm it because you are harming yourself' rubbish. Halfway through a battle is not the time for you to contemplate on this sort of thing. Is everyone ready?"

"You know, you can get really harsh sometimes," said Emeth, with a pained expression on his face.

"So? It's the truth, that's what matters." Valkron sheathed his sword. "Let's go. We've got a castle to defend."

Valkron was not sure if he could hold off an attacking force with just ten people. Even though he did not show it he was very worried and it was only by pure discipline that he did not fidget. He knew for a fact that Amaru and Khan were waiting in the emperium room, that Nocturne and Kushana were in the sniper areas, that Iruna, Eni, Samaroh and he were standing around near the front door, and that Aramithar was waiting for anyone who barged into the second floor.

"You know we're in big trouble if we encounter a sage, right?" muttered Emeth to Valkron, as they waited.

"Because they can nullify spells? I know."

"Not just that. Battle sages are particularly tough. They're handy with staff and spell."

"So are you."

"Believe me, Valkron," said Emeth, "I'm not all _that_ good."

Valkron snorted, but did not reply.

Samaroh pulled out his large golden pocket watch and flipped it open. "Ten minutes to two," he announced.

"This is going to be like our first time," said Valkron, covering his eyes with one hand.

"Samaroh, where did you get that watch?" asked Iruna curiously, pulling up her blindfold and looking down at the priest from her saddle. "The priests always have one each."

Samaroh went red, but he said, "Once we get inducted into the Prontera Church we get this as a way of indicating we've been accepted by the Church."

"Including the rosary you always wear around your neck and the bible you used to carry?" asked Valkron dully.

"Yes. It was included."

"Sounds nice."

The priest rolled his eyes and checked his watch. "Five minutes."

"It must have been expensive for the Church to buy so many watches," said Iruna.

"No, not really. The Golden Sands mass-produces these watches. They're actually quite cheap, and they last for a long time."

"The Golden Sands?"

"Clock-making company in Al de Baran."

"Oh."

They waited. The atmosphere was getting tense. Valkron could feel it pressing down every minute that ticked away on Samaroh's watch.

Far off, they heard the great horns sound. The five of them tightened their grip on their weapons. Eni had gone white, but she was standing her ground. Valkron felt sorry for her. She was more of the making potion type, unlike Aramithar.

But just before anything happened, she picked out a few squarish bottles from her cart and hefted them. The others eyed them with some suspicion.

"What is _that_?" said Samaroh.

"Don't give me that look, Samaroh. These can save your life." Eni promptly poured one on him.

"Oi!" Samaroh jerked away from her. "What in the world is this stuff?"

Valkron and Iruna leaned forward to see. He was covered in a viscous liquid that seemed to shimmer as it crept down his shoulders. As they watched it disappeared into his robes.

"A mixture of chemicals known to all as a 'glistening coat'. Protects you from," she gave him a look, "being _stripped_."

"Please don't tell me the wizards had something to do with it," said the priest, looking all over his clothes.

"We did _not_," said Emeth indignantly. "We've got better things to do than make chemicals--"

Valkron nudged Emeth. The wizard stopped speaking abruptly. Eni took this as an opportunity to pour the rest over the others, who tried not to squirm as the cold, slightly opaque liquid spread down their clothes and was absorbed.

But they were paying attention to something else. The sound of heavy feet were tramping outside. The four of them stiffened, their hands gripping their various weapons of choice.

Like the calm before a storm, there was a silence. Valkron drew his sword and gripped it with both hands.

And then the doors slammed open.

* * *

"Well, that was long," said Emeth breathlessly, wiping sweat off his face. Iruna took one look at him and had to turn away as she tried not to laugh.

"You look a right mess, Emeth," said Valkron tiredly, wiping his sword.

"Well, for someone who had a fire spell narrowly miss his face by inches you can't expect much, can you?" answered the indignant wizard. "And why are you grinning like that, Samaroh?"

"You should look at yourself," replied the priest. "Go on."

"Wait, wait, nobody move," interrupted Valkron. "We've still got half an hour left. I don't want our wizard to be checking his face in the mirror while we get crushed or frozen. Emeth, catch."

The startled wizard caught a clean rag. He looked at it. "Is the amount of soot on my face that bad?"

"Wipe your forehead with your hand and smudge it on a window. No one will see through it for weeks. That's all I'm saying."

"Ah."

As Emeth rubbed off the soot Valkron turned around. "And, Eni, _please_ don't _ever_ do that again."

"Do what?" said the alchemist in surprise.

"Don't give me that look. During WoE do not shout 'Think fast!' and chuck a potion at someone. _Ever_. Do you know how it feels to have a glass bottle shatter in your face?"

"I'm sorry, Valkron," said Eni, looking downcast. "But I can help heal you when Samaroh's busy."

The knight sighed. "Eni, I meant don't shout 'think fast'. When you did I looked around and nearly lost my head. Literally. You do not distract anyone who is fighting. It doesn't matter that a glass bottle breaks on your head, so long as it doesn't break _in your face_."

"Okay."

"Just keep that in mind."

"Yeah, that's a good idea," said Samaroh. "At least I won't be healing injuries that were caused by friendly fire--" He looked towards the open doors

Iruna looked at the priest. "What are you looking at?"

In a split second the priest had shoved Iruna out of the way. There was a rumble. Silhouettes appeared in front of the door. The ground shook, and the floor shot upwards as spikes tore it apart.

"Heaven's Drive!" said Emeth in shock. "I swear I wiped the wizards out moments ago!"

Valkron picked himself up from the floor where he had thrown himself. "Apparently you missed one, didn't you?"

In the silence only broken by footsteps and coughing, two figures appeared at the doors. Silhouetted in the clouds of dust still settling down, they stood there. Both were of equal height, and both were--

"Oh, dear," said Iruna, who had pulled down her blindfold.

The dust cleared.

Valkron found himself looking at two very slender and quite tall women. One was a sage with long green hair, a thick plait over her shoulder. The other was a dancer with golden hair.

"Big trouble," whispered Emeth.

Valkron turned his head slightly. Although he had seen sages walking about in the cities he had been to he had never seen one in action until now. The other guilds probably had them, but during a battle it was often to difficult to tell what they did in terms of attck and defence. He had never met one face to face before.

"What guild are you?" he said aloud to the two women.

The sage tapped the floor lightly with the end of her staff. "Just one of the guilds you were beating up just now. We were waiting outside."

"Clever," said Iruna. Valkron lifted an eyebrow at her and then said, "You've got half an hour left."

"Doesn't matter," said the sage. "At least we tried."

Just then the dancer flung her hands into the air. Music came from nowhere, a strange lilting tune that made Valkron light-headed. He wasn't the only one - almost everyone's eyes glazed over.

The sage, meanwhile, pulled out two gemstones, one blue and one yellow. She held them together, summoning power through them until they were bright white and then throwing them on the ground. They shattered into thousands of glittering crystals. A massive white grid slammed down on the ground between the two groups.

Valkron shook himself awake, and just in time. He swung his sword up. There was a clang as the sage's staff met his blade, and sparks flew as she pressed him down.

Samaroh fired white lightning at the sage, who was thrown off her feet. She stumbled back up, only to duck as Iruna's shield whirled past her, missing her by inches.

Music started up again. Emeth shouted something and sprinted off, as fast as possible. Valkron swore. The dancer was sapping their energy faster than they could regain it.

"Eni! Watch our backs!" he shouted.

There was an explosion right after that, and a short scream. By this time the sage was on her feet. She lunged forward with her staff at Emeth. The wizard leapt back, but his cloak caught on the tip and tore slightly.

Valkron skidded in front of the wizard and deflected her next blow. The sage seemed unfazed by this; she swung her staff around towards Valkron. The knight knocked it away again.

"Come on, Emeth!" he shouted, as the sage jabbed her staff at his face. "Do something!"

"I can't! She's a sage, for Odin's sake!"

"Just do," Valkron struck away her staff again, "something!"

Emeth's expression was one of despair. He set out his staff and concentrated, magic whipping up around him.

The sage deflected Valkron's blow so hard that the knight stumbled. She turned on Emeth and swiped at him with her glowing staff.

There was the sound of glass breaking, and the magic circle spinning at his feet shattered into sparkling shards of solid magic. Emeth's head jerked backwards with the impact; he was then thrown off his feet and across the floor a few metres away.

It was Samaroh who came to his rescue, but not with a healing spell. He gestured at the sage; her hands flew up to her head.

"Beat that!" he shouted at her.

Then Valkron understood. Samaroh had temporarily removed her ability to cast spells via her mind. He ran straight for her again.

Iruna beat him to it. She had been sneaking up behind the sage as quiet as only a crusader could; she hit the sage with her shield. As the sage stumbled backwards, clutching her head, Samaroh pointed at her. White lightning struck her from the tip of his finger.

Suddenly white light flashed. Valkron flung his arm up to his eyes, but it was too late. His head spun as he tried to regain his balance.

"Eni, I told you to keep an eye on her!"

"Sorry, Valkron!" the alchemist's reply came back to him.

The knight's head reeled. Up till now he had only heard of stars wheeling around someone's head; he had never imagined that it would look like what he was seeing now. He heard music - slow, soft, distant music.

It was suddenly briefly cut off. Valkron opened his eyes and found he was steady again. He looked up in time to see the dancer struck across the face by a staff.

"Emeth!" he said in surprise.

The wizard gripped his staff with both hands and shoved the head of his staff into the dancer's abdomen. She folded up immediately. The sage screamed in anguish and lunged forward at Emeth, who batted her staff away.

"You're not the only one who can play games," he said angrily. "Time to turn the tables."

The sage snarled. Emeth leapt back as she struck out at him; he did not move back when she did it again. The two staffs crossed; their tips of their noses were barely an inch apart.

Valkron had to admit that the sage had amazing dexterity with her staff. But he didn't doubt Emeth's ability; he was proven right when the wizard hooked his staff into the crescent top of hers and yanked it out of her hands. He flung it off.

"A bit angry, isn't he?" said Iruna behind Valkron, quite casually.

"I think 'angry' is an understatement."

The sage blinked, and shook her head. Purple balls of light materialised out of the air and swirled around her, going faster and faster until they suddenly collided and merged. The resulting white ball exploded.

A pillar of fire struck Emeth.

Samaroh waited until the fire disappeared before healing the blackened wizard. Eni, meanwhile, threw a lighted potion. The explosion threw the sage off her feet.

They had to wait for the dust to clear before they could do anything else. Valkron, still coughing, managed to get the soot-covered Emeth somewhere else in the meantime.

"Don't do that again, please," he said, coughing a little. "You're all making us worried with your unpredictable actions. Just stand somewhere to the side, all right? You've disarmed her. The only problem is her magic."

Emeth nodded, evidently still too stunned to say anything.

Valkron turned back. The dust had settled. The sage had got to her feet by then, but she was looking around her.

"I'm impressed," she said, in the silence. "Well, it looks like I can't do anything against four-- no, three of you. My guild won't be happy, but I can't do a thing about it."

"You're pretty impressive, in my opinion," said Valkron. "The two of you actually dared to take on four of us alone, and not without reason either. Who are you?"

The sage straightened up, her staff in her hand. "My name is Nalini," she said, looking over her shoulder. "And the dancer is my sister, Kala. We'll not forget you, Valkron."

"I doubt anyone will," said Iruna. Samaroh chuckled, but quickly stopped when Valkron glared at him.

Nalini smiled, but only briefly. "We'll be back."

After the sage had left with her sister Valkron sat down on the floor and sighed. "What time is it?"

Samaroh pulled out his watch. "The War of Emperium should end about--"

There was the sound of the great horns being blown.

"--now."

"Good." Valkron got to his feet. "I'm going to go and take a shower and then go to sleep. Anyone who dares wake me up will get a sword up the nostril."

* * *

The scene in Al de Baran was as normal - as normal for every post-War of Emperium session, that was. There were plenty of guilds leaving the city, helping their injured comrades along to the priests who were waiting outside the city to teleport the wounded to Prontera. There the hospice and the priests loaned by the bigger guilds would help clear up the remnants of the war.

As the streams of people went past, no one gave a second glance to three figures sitting at the base of the Clock Tower watching them. Not many would have given a first glance, either.

But they were there, and they were watching quite emotionlessly the wounded go past.

"It's interesting that the Black Cross doesn't need us even during the War of Emperium," observed one of them. She was a monk with short golden hair and was tightening her gloves as she spoke.

"Vineis says he will need us soon," said another, a crusader with violet hair, mostly hidden by a visor. "It will be a special task."

"How special?" asked the monk.

"What we are worth, he said."

The monk shook her head. "You admire him very much, and you don't try to hide that. Don't you know that?"

"That is not up to you," said the crusader, his brown eyes sliding to one side to look at her sideways. "I am what I am."

"Hm. I don't wonder about that." The monk looked at the people again. "But it's strange you've always wanted to escape from people who want power."

"Vineis may work for power, but he does it to take care of his guildmembers," said the crusader defiantly. "Is that not so?"

This question he addressed to the third person, a sage with purple hair as well. Unlike the crusader, he was standing, and unlike the monk, whose pose could be called casual if no one saw the brass knuckles she cradled in her hands, he stood stiffly. His staff gleamed in the late afternoon sun.

The sage shrugged.

"You do not ever say much, do you?" said the crusader, still looking at the sage.

"Leave him be. You know he doesn't speak unless he wants to." The monk looked at the sage. "Are you all right, though? You've been silent for some time."

The sage shrugged.

"Don't always shrug. You could say _something_. You're not totally mute, are you?"

"I do not think he wants to talk," said the crusader.

"He should, though. No one gets anything good out of staying silent."

The sage looked at them, but did not say anything.

The three of them watched the guilds leave. Long after they had left, after the lights of the city had come on and night had fallen, they were still there - three silhouettes outlined in the dark, next to the Clock Tower, watching and waiting.


	16. Rivals

Chapter 16

**Rivals**

"Good morning, Amaru," said Valkron.

"Good morning, Valkron," replied Amaru.

"Had a good sleep from yesterday?"

"Yes, I did."

"Well rested?"

"Yes, I am."

"Ready to go out?"

"Why are you asking me this, Valkron?" asked the blacksmith, without any change in his tone or expression. "Is it because you're bored?"

"Yes, it is because I'm bored." Valkron got his elbows off the table. "I've got absolutely nothing to do in my free time, unless I want to go and recruit even more members."

"We have to stock up on food, though," said Amaru. "And our guild funds may not be enough. Do you want to ask people to donate?"

"Me? Ask people to donate? You're kidding me, right? No. For now we'll just use the money we have between us - that is, the people who have enough money to spare," added the knight, seeing Amaru's expression change. "Most of the new members are homeless and poor. They've got nowhere to go. I might as well help them out."

"Still."

Valkron had to agree with Amaru, in some way. After the two War of Emperium sessions there were people coming in like floods. Most of those he had accepted were mercenaries he knew from his days of fighting out on the frontlines and in the armies he had been hired. And, yes, many of them were homeless or had nothing to call their own. Many of them were young and ambitious. Valkron disliked the youths of the current era, but there were some who really did want to fight for a good cause.

And now the kitchen was in danger, mainly because there were so many people to feed.

"I've got an idea," said Iruna, who was sitting next to Valkron. "There's a warp point at one end of the ground floor of this castle. It leads nowhere. If we change that place into some sort of dining hall and expanded the kitchens I think we can deal with this.

"And who's going to cook?" asked Valkron dryly.

"You can hire a Kafra employee, can't you?" said Iruna. "She'll help out in matters. Or a guild manager."

Valkron looked down at the table. "Hm."

Amaru got up from his seat. "I'll be going," he said shortly.

"Where to?"

"Al de Baran. Got an order to serve."

"I thought you weren't being given anything to do by the Blacksmiths' Guild," said Valkron, grinning.

"You have a wicked mind."

Iruna tried not to laugh with some difficulty.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Valkron indignantly.

"Take it as a compliment, Valkron," said the deep-voiced blacksmith. "It's true, anyway."

"Hang on, I'm coming with you. Besides, I want to see what Aramithar does for a living. Do you mind?"

"No."

"Have a safe trip," said Iruna, as the two men left the kitchen.

"I will, don't you worry," called back Valkron.

They walked down to Geffen in silence, Amaru's little cart rattling behind him.

"You changed your cart, I see," said the knight, after a while.

"Anything wrong with it?"

"No. It looks fine to me. And the little roof on it keeps the rain out, am I right?"

"That's what I chose it for."

After a while Valkron said, "So how's business? Give me a direct answer."

"Not too bad."

"Not too bad? Are you being modest?"

Amaru looked at Valkron. For the first time since the knight had met him, the blacksmith grinned.

"It's good to be modest."

Valkron rolled his eyes. "Believe me, you're safe with me."

"I know." Amaru turned back to facing ahead. "But I don't want to be overconfident."

"You're being exactly the opposite, Amaru," said Valkron, shaking his head. "I get what you mean."

They reached the southern gate of Geffen and promptly got a teleport straight to Al de Baran. Valkron liked the City of Canals as long as he did not keep the Guild Liaison Office in his sight, and therefore ignored the grand building. Amaru opened his mouth, but the knight gave him such a ferocious glare that the blacksmith shut his mouth.

The Institute of Alchemistry, however, distracted their attention shortly after. It had only been built recently, and was an extension of the Alchemists' Guild. Valkron took one look at the two buildings and had to stop walking so that he could manage to not laugh out loud. The Institute was so large the guild would have been mistaken as the extension, not the other way round.

Admittedly, once he'd got over it, the building _was_ magnificent - far more grander than the Guild Liaison Office. With its famous Alchemy Tower, which stood out above the other buildings as it was almost the same height as the Clock Tower as well as spouting great fumes of coloured smoke nonstop day and night, every new map that had been printed now had the Institute as a landmark.

"I'm going over to the building there," said Amaru, pointing to a small house not far off. "It'll be a while, though. Are you going to watch me?"

"No, I'm going into the Institute to look for Aramithar," replied the knight. "If you don't mind. When you're done you can come along."

"I think I'll just stay outside," said the blacksmith. "Alchemists make me jumpy."

With that the blacksmith went off. Valkron watched him go before walking up to the glazed glass doors of the Institute.

He felt his jaw drop as he walked into the place. The hallway was not as high-ceilinged as the Chivalry, nor was it gilded and carved like the Junoan Church, but it was beautiful. The hallway was in the shape of a great semicircle. Overhead was a glass hemispherical dome with a gilded ironwrought frame, letting the sun's rays fall into the hallway. The hall itself was of cool marble.

But the most magnificent sight of all was the great alembic in the middle of the hall. It was not a real alembic - no one could have blown a ten-foot high glass equipment in the time it took to build the Institute - but it was entirely of magic. Valkron felt the warmth of the image as he drew closer; he stared up at it, looking into the swirling golden balls of light that were constantly on the move, and yet so organized that the shape of the alembic was in perfect order. A larger golden ball sped in a parabola around the alembic, leaving behind a golden trail that never had the chance to fade away before the ball came around again.

Valkron could see other non-alchemists staring up in wonder at the magical alembic, which was floating two feet off the floor. Everyone was standing at least two metres away from it - the alchemists had carefully roped it off. Valkron's days with Emeth had taught him some lessons, and one of them was that different magic users had different magical signatures. Whatever spell that had created this floating masterpiece had been the work of wizards.

He was standing there, thinking about this, when a familiar voice said, "Valkron? What are you doing here?"

The knight turned around to see Aramithar. The alchemist was holding a flask in one hand and blinking at Valkron.

"I just came to see what this place does," replied Valkron.

"I thought you just came here to join the masses in gazing at the symbol of our institute," said Aramithar, grinning. "I wouldn't recommend you to wander around by yourself, though. Things can get fiery here."

"I can imagine," said Valkron. He gestured at the flask in Aramithar's hand, which was overflowing with green smoke and occasionally spitting out sparks. "What are you going to do with that?"

"This? Oh, just transferring it between departments." Aramithar pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Come along if you want to have a look around. I'm just doing a few odd jobs."

"I thought you were busy with work?" asked Valkron, as both of them began walking.

"They've given me some time off, and I'm taking advantage of it to do a few things of my own. This way."

Aramithar led Valkron away from the hall, through a door and down a flight of steps into a chamber that was illuminated by coloured lights coming from various devices. Valkron couldn't help staring at a few that looked sinister, but the alchemist did not stop and went out through another door. Not wanting to get left behind, Valkron sped up.

"Why is this place so dark?" asked Valkron. He could hardly see the alchemist. From the flashing lights behind and in front of them, he could see they were in a tunnel. Other than that even the alchemist was a black silhouette in front of him.

"This is Basement One," explained the alchemist. "We store away our experiments and work here, especially unfinished work."

"We're _underground_?"

"Yes. Sometimes it's dangerous for our experiments to even come into contact with air, or the magical atmosphere outside, so we leave them down here." Aramithar turned a corner. "I don't usually walk through the hall, but the way from my own laboratory is much longer and I was afraid the solution might run out of gas if I took too long to preserve it."

"And it's not dangerous?"

"Believe me, Valkron - if it _was_ dangerous I wouldn't have even appeared."

They walked down the tunnel for some time. Then Valkron said, "But down here it seems that the amount being lost is just the same."

"No, it isn't," answered Aramithar. "The basements down here are cooler. Reactions take place at a slower rate at lower temperatures, unless they're equilibrium reactions. Here we are."

They had come to a heavy-looking door. Aramithar pulled the lever outside the door, and it swung open. Valkron immediately felt a blast of cold wind.

"The sages of Juno had a hand in making this room," said the alchemist, walking in. "It's an ice room."

"I can see that," said Valkron. He was sure he had icicles hanging off his visor.

Luckily the alchemist was only in the room for a short while. He came out, slightly frost-dusted, and closed the door. "Freezing, isn't it?"

"I think the word 'freezing' is a bit of an understatement," said the knight, who was slightly blue.

Aramithar nodded nonchalantly. "If you work here you get used to it."

On their way back to the hall Valkron asked, "You said this was Basement One. Are there other basements?"

"We have four," answered Aramithar. "Basement Two is also a storage area, but for chemicals labelled as harmful. Basement Three is special - it's for highly reactive chemicals that should really never see daylight. Basement Four is a waste dump."

"What do you mean, 'highly reactive chemicals that should really never see daylight'?" asked Valkron suspiciously.

"'Highly reactive chemicals that should really never see daylight' as in 'those chemicals that blow up in your face when you take them out to, say, Basement One, and where you realise you don't have a head after the smoke is cleared'."

"And the King lets you deal with them?"

"I know what you mean," said Aramithar, who had evidently seen Valkron's look. "We're certified alchemists, Valkron. That means we're qualified to handle substances that are far too dangerous for the general population to deal with."

"I'm staying far away from you as much as possible, that's all I'm saying."

Aramithar did not reply; he simply laughed instead.

Valkron was glad when they had reached the hallway. The tunnels of Basement One had been cool, but the clamminess of the place got to him after some time in the dark.

"Thanks for enlightening me on this place - well, partially," said Valkron, coming to a stop. "Hopefully I get to see your workspace."

"Possibly on a less busy and less dangerous day," replied the alchemist, smiling a little. "But I'm glad you appreciate it. Most people think we're loonies."

"Well, they think you're still after the Philosopher's Stone or something." Valkron nodded at him. "Thanks to Eni, I don't."

The alchemist chuckled. "I'm grateful for that. See you."

Valkron walked out of the Institute, smiling broadly, as Aramithar watched him go.

* * *

Amaru was waiting for him outside.

"Sorry," said Valkron. "Did I keep you waiting?"

The blacksmith shook his head. "I only came about ten minutes ago."

"How was your order?" The two men began to walk towards the south of Al de Baran.

"Oh, fine. People are getting used to the 'bring your own materials' concept."

"That's the reason why you don't charge much, do you?" asked Valkron. "They buy most of the stuff that would drop you into trouble if you went hunting for them on your own, not to mention a lot of time wasted. So to reduce costs as well as manage your time you've asked them to bring the stuff along."

After a pause Amaru said, "You should be a merchant."

"Never liked being one," said the knight dismissively. "Tried my hand at selling before, at a small stall in the Swordsmen's Academy during a festival. I didn't make much of a profit."

"But you bargain well."

"Bargaining's involved in a lot more than just money, Amaru."

Amaru considered this. "True."

"Ever considered working for the Chivalry?"

The blacksmith thought for a while. "No. But I'd rather not have rookies asking to have their weapons upgraded or made before they can actually handle them."

"That's not allowed in the Chivalry," said Valkron. "We saw through that. Chivalry blacksmiths have a ranking. The level of the rank will give you permission to forge, repair and upgrade weapons for a certain rank of knight in the Chivalry."

"And that depends on what?"

"On your proficiency with metals, mostly. Others include morals, beliefs...you know, the usual Chivalry knight backbone thing."

"I'm probably not going to be one of the high ones," said Amaru.

"What, because you're not a proper forger?" Valkron snorted. "It's not all just efficiency in forging, Amaru. I reckon you'd be a...White Rank."

"And how low is that?"

"It's the third from the top, actually." Valkron grinned at Amaru's expression. "The highest is Blue and the second is Black. The lowest is Green."

"Ah."

After a few minutes Amaru said, "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why would they give me that rank?"

"Because even though you're not that good you said you wouldn't do anything for rookie knights unless they knew how to handle the weapons. It's a good thing for a blacksmith to be fair. And besides...you're not that bad. You may be a battle blacksmith, but you forge like you mean it."

Valkron was sure that the sound Amaru made was close to a chuckle, if not one. "I won't forget that."

"I'm sure you wouldn't."

Suddenly the knight became aware of a small sound. The life of the city had been so busy that it had completely faded into the background, but now it seemed to hit his eardrums, asking rudely for attention. Which was odd, because it was not loud.

It was the regular clink of metal on the cobbles.

Somehow the sound, which came at regular intervals of about one minute, seemed to say something more than, say, an explosion would. It said, very simply: turn around now, or you're going to get it.

He turned. So did Amaru.

Behind them were another blacksmith and a dancer. This dancer was not the one they had fought with on the last War of Emperium session. She had straight, jaw-length, layered violet hair and was wearing a sakkhat. The blacksmith had blue hair cropped rather short and close to his head - making it look a bit like an upturned eggshell - and on over it was a pair of great horns. Valkron recognised them as the horns you could get from the miniature versions of Baphomet.

It was the way they stood that told Valkron he was not dealing with normal people here. He confirmed his thoughts a minute later, when he saw something.

"Hello, David," said Amaru dully.

The blue-haired blacksmith gave Amaru a look that seemed to identify him with the status of a cockroach. "It seems only yesterday that we met. How's business?"

"As usual," replied Amaru.

Valkron could also see why his blacksmith didn't really talk much. He had an advantage here when he didn't. The blacksmith called David seemed to be listening intently for anything in Amaru's replies that he could pounce on - and, if he was lucky, trap Amaru.

"Really? Hm." David rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Rumour spreads fast on the wings of the guild, Amaru. They say you've been doing well of late."

"They always say something," said Amaru.

"And you don't? You know you can trust me."

"And you know I don't."

The two of them stood for a while, eyeing each other. At length David said, "Okay, I get your point. But I doubt you'll ever get to top my sales, especially for a small-scale businessman like you."

Valkron would have said something had Amaru not given him a light, practised chip to the ankle that was so subtle it took the knight several minutes to realise that the blacksmith had kicked him.

"That's your opinion, David, not mine," replied the brown-haired blacksmith.

"And what's _your_ opinion?"

"You don't need to know it." Amaru said this in a way that Valkron knew he was not talking any further.

David seemed to have understood. "I see. Well, see you around, Amaru."

Valkron and Amaru watched the two of them go, before turning back. Only when they had warped back to Geffen did Valkron ask, "Who were they? You seem to know them very well."

"David? Well, the Blacksmiths' Guild is a small world."

"What about the dancer?"

"Reita? She's his girlfriend. Don't be fooled by her looks." Amaru pulled his cart over a tussock as they made their way back to Repherion. "She's got an independent, ferocious streak. Doesn't show off much, but she hides a lot anyway."

_So do you_, thought Valkron. Aloud he said, "And you dislike David, do you?"

"Dislike him? No, I don't." Amaru pushed open the gates of Repherion with his hand. "We're just rivals, Valkron. Just rivals."

Valkron watched him go. In his head he recalled what he had seen. David had been wearing a shield on his left sleeve - the shield of the Blacksmiths' Guild, with its black and red background and the sword and hammer criss-crossing to form an X. But below it, just above the crook of his elbow, imprinted on his skin, was the tattoo of a black cross.

And Reita had the same tattoo, on her left shoulder.

* * *

Iruna found Valkron later on in the day, asleep at the kitchen table. He was sitting upright, with his arms folded across his chest and most of his armour off and on the table. She smiled fondly at the sight of him.

"That's our guild leader," she said to the Kafra employee next to her. "Best not to disturb him now. He might get into a grumpy mood."

"It'll take me several days for me to get used to this," said the young woman in her grey dress and frilled apron.

"Don't worry. Lots of people get used to us after some time." Iruna smiled at her. "Now, let's see what we can do about the dining hall, all right? And then after that I'll arrange things thoroughly with you. When it comes to women, _we_ can run a home better than men."

"Now that, I agree with," said the Kafra employee, smiling back.

Their laughter echoed through the hallway of Repherion.

* * *

In Prontera, Samaroh was taking his break from his usual training. He was flipping through the book he usually carried rather dully when he noticed that there was a monk standing to the side.

The Prontera Church had a large courtyard, in there was a grove of trees. Samaroh was sitting in the shade of one of them, so he was sure the monk had not seen him. The man, wearing a sakkhat, was gazing at the other end of the courtyard.

The thing that irked the priest was the fact that he was smoking. Samaroh got to his feet, dusted his robes and went over to the monk.

"I'm sorry, but smoking is strictly prohibited in these premises," he said quietly, but firmly. "Other than that, can I help you with anything?"

The monk did not even move for a few minutes. As Samaroh took a deep breath to repeat his question, the monk finally said, "I'm looking for a priest."

"Do you know his name?" said Samaroh. "And could you stop smoking that cigarette at this moment?"

The monk looked up. Samaroh looked into his eyes and backed off.

"I smoke when I like," said the monk. "My name is Naobi. And I'm looking for a priest called...Samaroh."

As the priest looked into his eyes, there was one clear thought, just before all hell broke loose.

_Oh, sh--_


	17. Matters in Repherion

Chapter 17

**Matters in Repherion**

Valkron scanned the scroll he was holding. Then he picked up his quill and ran it down the length of the scroll.

"Do you always look through things so thoroughly?" asked Emeth, who was watching him from the other side of the kitchen table.

"I have to," replied the knight. "It's my job."

"Why did you get picked for the administration job, anyway?"

"Because there are no wars to fight save for the War of Emperium." Valkron looked up irritably from the scroll. "And why are _you_ here, Emeth?"

"I've brought some homework with me, can't you see that?" Emeth thumped the pile of books next to him viciously. "The students are on study leave. The annual examinations are taking place soon. I've just got to mark these books," he sighed, "and then it's fine."

"Why aren't you doing it, then?"

"Well, considering that I've already marked two thirds of the pile, and seriously I think I had enough of seeing eight pages covered with my own handwriting in red ink." The wizard rolled his eyes. "You won't believe how many students don't even know how to spell the words in the incantations used for the simplest spells."

"Exactly what do they do in your class?" asked Valkron curiously.

"My subject? Theory of Magic. Students are required," Emeth's eyes glazed over and his voice became somewhat distant, "to understand the in-depth structure of a basic spell and to be able to define the incantation of a spell by the use of runes, amongst others. They must be able to take apart a spell and examine what constitutes it and what gives it its power. Sometimes we are required to gather magical essences and use them to create new spells under experimental conditions, but--"

"Okay, you can stop now," said Valkron, staring at him in a horrified, fascinated way. "Before you talk my ears off. To be honest with you I'm alarmed that you can say all of that as if you were reading off a script somewhere in your mind."

"I've got used to other people asking me what I do," said the wizard, shrugging.

"And do your students like the subject?"

"Hah, no. They often want to get down to the real business of casting a spell. Well, the boys do. Sometimes I get the occasional student putting up their hand to ask me why they're not doing any practical work." Emeth shook his head.

"What do you mean, the boys do?"

"The boys are more interested in starting off straightaway. The girls settle for the theory, but more or less I suspect most of their attention is on me."

"Ah," said Valkron. "So do you do any practical work?"

"At the end of every week, yes. I test them to see how much information they retain. Or how much they pay attention to what I teach. It's become the latter these days."

"And what do you do, exactly?"

Emeth held up two fingers. Apart from his cloak he was still wearing the rest of his clothes, including his gloves. "Two tests. A written paper to see how much they know, and a practical paper where I give them a set of instructions telling them to create a new spell and then manipulate it."

"How does it go?"

"The written test's fine, although I daresay the students could do with a little more effort." Emeth glared at the wall opposite as if he suddenly hated it. "I don't want to talk about the practical paper."

"I do want to know aout it, though."

"No, you don't."

"Yes, I do."

"No. Believe me, you _really_ don't want to know."

Valkron opened his mouth to start shouting, considered this for a moment, and then said, "Okay, I don't want to know. It sounds serious."

"If I didn't need to give them tests I would have gladly done so," said Emeth, picking up his quill and taking a book off the top of the pile next to him. "Unfortunately I like being thorough, and the wizard examinations are getting harder. They're raising the standards because of the high competition, and now they want the highest grades possible in at least ten of the twelve subjects magicians take. The students say I'm a slave driver. If only they could understand that I _don't_ want to, but I _have_ to."

Valkron nodded. "I understand that. On the other hand the Swordsmen's Academy and the Chivalry are lowering standards. I wish they wouldn't."

"Maybe that's why more people want to become wizards," suggested Emeth. The two men laughed.

"Right, we'd best be getting on with our work." Valkron couldn't stop grinning, but he returned to his letter. Emeth chuckled softly to himself and began marking the books.

Valkron was just signing his letter and Emeth snapping shut the tenth book when there was a clatter from outside the kitchen. A few minutes later Iruna, still fully armoured despite the lateness of the hour, skidded past the door ahead of a trail of sparks.

"Valkron!" she gasped. "You need to go to Prontera!"

"At this time? Why?"

"The Prontera Church is calling for you! Something about Samaroh!"

Emeth and Valkron looked at each other. Then they quickly put their quills down and ran out of the door, Iruna following them.

Outside Valkron mounted his peco, and Emeth hopped on behind him. Iruna hoisted herself onto hers and whipped up the bird into a run. The thudding of the pecos' claws shook the ground and reverberated in the air as they made their way to Prontera.

It was a big crowd in front of the doors of the Church, but they hastily got out of the way as the two pecos trotted through. Most of them fled at the sight of Valkron; some of them backed off at the sight of Emeth's glowing staff, which he had vowed to use if no one moved out of the way.

At the great doors Valkron jumped off his peco and ran in, cloak flying out behind him. Emeth and Iruna got off at the same time and ran; Emeth, having longer legs, beat the crusader to the doors.

Inside there was a group of people. From their clothes they were members of the clergy, ranging from neophyte to bishop. They turned to see the three Raulus guild members.

"What's happened?" asked valkron, slowing to a stride as he approached them.

"Seems that your priest has attracted a rather...violent person," said a bearded priest wearing a skull cap.

"Who is it?" asked Valkron, tightening his grip around the hilt of his sword. "If he's a mercenary...the Chivalry will hear no end of this."

"Calm down, Valkron," said the priest. "There should be no violence on the hallowed land of God--"

"Don't muck around with me, Father Maruweiss," said Valkron, his voice hardening. "Samaroh may be a priest of the Church, but he's also part of my guild, and I'll be damned if I let anyone do anything to a member of my guild. _Where is he?_"

There was silence. Then a nearby nun said, "The man...disappeared shortly after assaulting Samaroh. The only description we could get was of a monk with long green hair and wearing a sakkhat."

"You let him escape?" growled the knight, raising his voice.

Iruna stepped forward and put a hand on his shoulder. "Lead us to Samaroh," she said quietly.

"I'm sorry, I can't do that--"

"By the Order of Juno, I demand that you lead us to him."

Iruna's voice had contained no hint of a threat, but the priests around flinched. Father Maruweiss looked around him at the other priests and sighed. "Come this way."

The three of them followed the senior priest to a doorway. Going through it, they found themselves down a long passageway supported with thick marble pillars. Torches in brackets mounted on the pillars burned brightly, illuminating the whole passageway with dim golden orange light.

After a while Father Maruweiss led them into a small room off the main passageway. Emeth was the first to say something.

"God, the smell of blood."

Father Maruweiss have him a sideways look and opened his mouth.

"Don't give me that tripe about using God's name in vain, I've already had enough problems for the day," warned the wizard. The priest shut his mouth.

Valkron approached the bed. In the silence of the room only broken by the soft clinking of Iruna's and his armour, they could hear ragged breathing.

The two of them looked down at the bed at the other end of the room. Emeth gave the priest a glare, and the priest caught the gist. He quickly backed out, leaving the three of them alone.

In the dim light of the lantern hanging from the ceiling Samaroh looked pale against the sheets of the bed. The bandages wrapped around his head already gave the indication that the rest of his wounds were not to be taken lightly - they were heavily bloodstained. Both his hands were bandaged as well.

"What has happened?" said Iruna softly, evidently in horror. Her blindfold was slung round her neck again.

Valkron reached out, and then thought the better of it and withdrew his hand. No. It would not do good for him to touch Samaroh when he was in that state.

There was a cry from outside. The three of them turned to see Kushana run in, followed by Father Maruweiss. He stopped when the hunter fell to her knees next to the bed.

"Leave her be, Father," said Emeth, extending an arm to block his way. "She's his older sister, and she has the right to be here."

Kushana reached out with a trembling hand and gently touched her brother on the cheek. Then she grapsed one of his bandaged hands and held on it as if never to let go. Valkron was beginning to feel slightly embarrassed.

"Back off," he whispered to Emeth and Iruna. "This is a family matter for them as well."

The two of them did so. Valkron moved away, trying to make the least noise as possible. They watched from a distance as Kushana brushed the stray strands of hair out of Samaroh's face.

"Who'd do this?" asked Emeth in a low voice, as they watched.

Valkron narrowed his eyes. "I'm guessing it's someone of the Black Cross. Again."

"Why won't they ever leave us?" said Iruna.

"Isn't it obvious?" answered the wizard, before Valkron could even open his mouth. "They're pis-- put off with Valkron's rejection of Vineis' offer. I wouldn't be surprised if Vineis ordered the assault."

"Something tells me Vineis didn't do this, though," said Valkron, giving him a look. "He's the kind of person who hides somewhere, gets ready, and then jumps out on you at the right moment. Not someone who just attacks because he's angry."

"Sheuth would," said Iruna softly.

She received a look from Valkron, too. "Why do you say that?"

"Vineis doesn't exactly treat the rogue like an assistant, does he?" she said. "I have a hunch that Sheuth and Vineis are a lot closer than we thought. _How_ close, don't ask me."

"I'm sure no one would like to know." Valkron looked back at the bed. "But coming back to the here and now...what are we going to do?"

No one managed to continue the conversation. Just then Kushana cried out, "Samaroh!" and the three of them rushed to the bed.

The priest was stirring. His eyes were open and glazed; he squinted slightly as if he was finding it difficult to focus on the four figures next to him.

The huntress half-got up and touched his face. "How are you feeling?"

Samaroh blinked once or twice. Then he said, "Hurts...a lot."

"Don't worry, Samaroh," his sister said. "I'm sure the priests here can heal you properly."

There was a small cough. Kushana looked back to see Emeth staring pointedly at Valkron. Although his face was red it did not mean that she was going to stop him from indicating that the knight wanted to talk.

Valkron stepped forward. Samaroh looked at him, blinking a little as if to refocus.

"I'm sorry to bother you at this time," the knight said gravely, "but I want to know who did this to you. This is an infraction of the King's Mercenary Guild Laws."

Samaroh shook his head feebly. "I doubt...you can provide any incriminating evidence." His voice was weak and tired. "This guild...will probably escape from any...court cases brought up against them."

"Who has the word against the law?" said Valkron, still in the same grave, calm tone.

"They do." Samaroh lifted his hand and traced a cross in the air with his finger. "The Black...Cross."

There was silence. Valkron closed his eyes and turned his head away.

"But I can...give you the man's name," continued the priest. "He told me...his name, and that he...was looking for me. A monk, with green hair and...a sakkhat. After he landed his first blow, I...don't remember anything else after that."

"Tell us, then," said Iruna.

Samaroh winced. "Nao...bi."

* * *

Vineis stood at the window and scanned the landscape laid before him. He was in the highest floor of Kriemhild, the foremost castle of the Valkyrie Realms.

After a few minutes he said, "I am disappointed."

His voice was soft, and carried no hint of anger. Instead it was bitter.

Behind him, a monk with green hair stood with his sakkhat off. His hands, hanging by his sides, were devoid of his usual weapons, but the bloodstains on them were still evident.

"I am disappointed, Naobi," said the wizard. He turned around, putting his hands behind him and clasping them together. "Do you know why?"

There was no answer from the monk. Only the glittering blue of his eyes shifted; the rest of him was as still as a post.

"We are a guild who watches other guilds. That is what we do." Vineis slowly began walking towards the man. "Then after making our evaluations, we attack. And even then we don't charge in, do we? We do it so quietly no one knows what we are up to. And then everything comes out, and we are free of yet another nuisance in the kingdom."

He stopped. Their faces were barely inches apart.

"I give a lot to this guild," he said softly. "Not because I want the members to owe me something later on in life. I am not cruel. I give them a chance to prove themselves, and when they do I reward them. I care for this guild, and I pray that the members of this guild do, too."

Vineis began to pace around the monk. "However, Naobi, there are people who like to break the rules every once in a while. People who'd like to see someone suffer before their time. Unfortunately you're one of them. And that is what I do not like."

Naobi stayed silent. Vineis came back round to his face. "So what was your reason for attacking Samaroh of the Raulus?"

The monk said nothing. The wizard tilted his head slightly. "Don't tell me it's because of the conflict between the Prontera Church and the Monastery of the Mists. Sheuth's informed me of the current situation between the two, and I am not pleased that such friction is happening in this kingdom. It is exactly the same rubbish that has been going on between the Prontera Church and the Order of Juno, and frankly I want to put an end to this. If you are going to assault a clergyman of the Prontera Church, Naobi, I would like you to have a reason besides the aforesaid conflict. They may be arrogant and self-righteous, but they are also the people we depend on most in battles."

Naobi blinked. Vineis walked away from him.

"I put you in charge of Hohenschwangau so that you'd stay busy." The wizard turned around, cloak swirling out like the edge of darkness. "But you walk from there to Prontera to assault a priest. Why could you not have stayed in your place, like David and Reita? They are doing a wonderful job with Neuschwanstein and Nuernberg. You haven't. That is why I am disappointed with you."

Naobi stayed silent, his eyes flickering. Vineis sighed.

"Dismissed, Naobi," he said. "You're on partial probation now. If you repeat this I will deal with it as I see fit - even if it results in your expulsion of the guild. Go. I don't want to see you in this situation again."

The monk turned and left. Vineis listened to the dwindling sound of his footsteps before turning back to the window.

After a while there was a knock on the door.

"Come in," said Vineis, not moving.

There was a click of the lock as the door handle turned. "Vineis?"

"Yes, Sheuth?" said the wizard.

"Seyren's here to see you."

Vineis turned around. "Ah, it must be time for the monthly report. Admit him in, Sheuth."

The sage was promptly ushered in. Holding his large tome he bowed briefly to Vineis.

"There's no need for genuflection of any sort, Seyren," said Vineis, smiling. "You are the King's Guild Correspondent; I should be the one bowing to you. Do sit."

"Well, I was congratulating you," said Seyren, in his lazy voice. "The Black Cross is officially one of the top guilds of Rune-Midgard! The King has decreed that your guild is now one of his elite guilds, and he will call you in times of danger. Of what kind, he does not say. Haha."

In a way Vineis was a lot cleverer than Lucius. He tolerated Seyren, at least. The wizard disliked flattering people to get a good word for him, and this was an honest part of Vineis' behaviour; however, he wasn't going to upset the Guild Correspondent either. Besides, Seyren was a childhood friend of his. He respected the sage, and he knew the sage respected him.

"I am sure the Black Cross can answer the King's call," he said, crossing his legs elegantly. "In any kind of danger. We are powerful enough to answer any rising force that dares threaten the kingdom."

"So I have heard." Seyren put his book down squarely on his lap. "May I see your report?"

Vineis leaned over to the table behind him and took a sheaf of paper off it. "I believe some of my guild members were somewhat overenthusiastic. I was rather forced to take out some parts which were heavily exaggerated."

Seyren said nothing, just taking the report from the wizard. He opened it and ran his eyes down the first page.

"It seems to be in order," he said at last, letting the cover close by itself. "I will bring this back to the castle and assess it. Once again, may I congratulate you on your success?"

"If you wish to," replied Vineis, smiling. "I don't turn down such compliments, if anyone wants to give them to me."

The sage nodded, blinking lazily. "You have great pride in your guild, eh? Well, I'm not surprised. You've built it very well from the start, and its power is now feared across the kingdom. Even the Republic of Schwartzwald fears the Kingdom of Rune-Midgard's guilds. I am sure there will be no war between anyone now, not for a long time."

"That is a good thing," said Vineis. "Who wants war?"

"Most people would think it is you," said Seyren, smiling lopsidedly.

"Hah, no. We only use the War of Emperium to prove ourselves. Now that we have proven ourselves we can move on to higher sights. They say that deep in the depths of Juno a Valkyrie resides; she will give power to those who rightfully seek it."

"You can't be thinking of seeking her out, do you?" said Seyren, lifting an eyebrow. "Valkyries know who are the worthiest warriors, they themselvs being warriors. The Battle Maidens, the Warriors of the Light, the Guardians of the Fallen...I believe that they will only give you that power when you die fighting for your beliefs."

"I'd rather use the power here than in Valhalla," said Vineis. "The people here need someone with that power."

Seyren smiled. "And I imagine that such a strong-headed person such as you will be that person. I will not be surprised. Now I must be off - there are other reports I must take from Apocalypse Ultima and the Exodus Faction. I say, your guild is always on time when reports are due, eh? The others always delay such matters as if they are not important."

Vineis laughed. "But they are, for us. Until we meet again, Seyren."

He watched the sage depart with the report, and sighed. It had been a good time, save for the fact that Valkron was still out there with the Raulus guild.

Like most wizards, he had a sixth sense. And it was warning him about the Raulus. Vineis took heed of his sixth sense seriously, because it had predicted times for him and they had come true. Now he felt an imminent danger was rising.

But for now they could not do anything. He shrugged. The Raulus guild was still small and insignificant. If they ever thought of standing up to the Black Cross-- no, even Valkron was not a fool. He would not dare.

Vineis smiled to himself. Maybe it was time to focus on another guild...

* * *

Valkron returned late that night to Repherion. He had been searching for the monk Samaroh had named. It would take some time for the wounds to heal, even with the Prontera Church's best priests at hand.

Iruna met him at the doorway. "Valkron," she said, "you should stop being so flustered about this. At this stage we can't do anything about the Black Cross."

Valkron blinked at her. "Who said I was flustered?"

Iruna looked at him in surprise. "Well...your general behaviour right now."

"I just want to know how he looks like, so that I can remember his face. Now let me get in, it's freezing out here."

The crusader let him in, puzzled by this non-aggressive behaviour. Both of them walked back to the kitchen, where the atmosphere was somewhat subdued.

"What a difference Samaroh's absence makes," commented the knight, standing in the doorway and shaking his head. "Iruna, thanks a lot for hiring the Kafra employee. The whole place looks much nicer now."

That was true. She had been about while they had been out working. Since it was autumn the young woman had strung brass leaves near the ceiling around the room. Small but elegant swan-necked lamps had been set into the walls, giving off a warm, snug feel to the room. On the table in the middle - which had been changed three times by Valkron to bigger sizes - was a red tartan cloth, placed diagonally. The woman had been thoughtful enough to add a candelabra in the middle; the candles in it were unlit, but they added a hint of grandness to the whole place.

The young woman herself was standing nervously in the corner of the kitchen, as she had been dusting the shelves that, for now, served as a sort of larder. She bowed as Valkron approached her.

"I don't think we need that," he said, smiling. "You didn't tell me your name."

"My...name? Oh." The Kafra blushed. She had violet hair and green eyes. Valkron had taken to her the first time he had seen her, when she was sweeping the great hallway. He hadn't had the time to talk to her properly, though, until now.

"Come on," said Iruna encouragingly.

The Kafra took a deep breath. She looked as if she had made up her mind. "My name is Hlin, and I'm new to the Kafra Corporation. This is my first assignment, and I promise I'll serve you well." She curtsied.

"You don't have to curtsy either," said Valkron. Iruna was trying not to laugh behind his back. "I'm not being a killjoy, but it's not necessary. Well, then welcome to the Raulus Guild, Hlin. I hope you find it comfortable here."

Hlin nodded enthusiastically. "I find this place to be very hospitable."

"How do you find your room, Hlin?" asked Iruna, from behind Valkron. "I hope you don't mind that we knock on your door when we need a teleport to the other cities, and the noise that some of us," she looked pointedly at the rest behind her, "make when we teleport back here."

"Oh, it'll be fine," said Hlin, who looked drastically brighter and more confident. "The room is very nice. Thank you!"

"Well, if that's done we should go and clear up," said Valkron, looking back at them. "How many guild members do we have now, Emeth?"

"Close to thirty," said the wizard.

"Right. That sounds good." Valkron left Hlin to continue dusting. "Judging by how well off we are by the middle of the week we'll go and get involved in the War of Emperium again. This time we're going to fight for Merseitzdeitz, so that we have proper defences for Britoniah."

"What do you mean, judging by how well off we are?" said Eni, looking up from the potion manual she had been reading.

"I'd like to consider if we're capable of fighting for the castle," replied the knight. "I'm not going to just charge in like that. We'll see. Besides...our priest isn't here. And I know some of you may give me funny looks when I say this, but I miss him."


	18. A New Problem

Chapter 18

**A New Problem**

As the day for the next War of Emperium drew closer Valkron began to panic slightly. There was no priest amongst the new members of the guild. True, there were a couple of acolytes - children of a friend he knew - but acolytes could not replace Samaroh.

_I should have got another priest as backup_, he thought, as he scanned the registration list for the members. Emeth was in charge of this, as his second-in-command; the wizard was quite glad to do something other than marking students' books. However, Valkron had made a note not to disturb him now. Emeth, being one of the senior teachers, had been assigned to the Geffen Examination Board and was now devising papers along with his colleagues.

"Woe betide all students," he had said, as he had left for work that day. Valkron hadn't been able to stop himself laughing.

But the wizard was now absent for longer periods of time. Aramithar too disappeared early in the day and only came back late at night, much to the dismay of Eni. The Junoan Church seemed to be having its fair share of difficulties; Iruna was frequently asked to leave for Juno to oversee things.

On the other hand, the Chivalry had never been more relaxed. It was often a common misperception that when there were exams taking place in one part of the kingdom there would be exams taking place elsewhere. The Chivalry was good evidence that this was not true.

"I swear I'm being left alone these days because everyone has work to do," said Valkron sourly, as he put the list down. The only people around were Nocturne and Kushana. Khan had, oddly enough, received an assassination order from Morroc the other day, and Eni and Amaru were somewhere around Geffen selling and helping people. The two hunters looked up from their breakfast.

"Well, I'm not surprised," said Nocturne. "After all, it's autumn. People naturally hurry to get things done before winter. The weather forecast for winter seems to be pretty bad this year."

"Why?" asked the knight. "We're in a relatively warm part of the world, aren't we?"

"Yeah, but we're in for a dry spell. The winds are becoming stronger and colder as the years past, for some reason."

"Who does the weather forecast?"

"The sages in Juno," said Kushana. "They've got the equipment and the knowledge to do it."

"Not to mention they're way up there." Nocturne cut up his scrambled egg with a fork and sighed. "But, Valkron, you're not alone. We've got absolutely nothing to do."

"That's because you won't go," retorted Valkron. "What [iis[/i the Hunters' Guild doing these days? I bet there's got to be something better than patrolling the forests day in, day out."

"The Hunters' Guild is moving." Kushana delicately picked up the small pepper pot on the table and upturned it slightly above her egg. "They're drawing up plans for reconstruction of their building somewhere else - where, don't ask me. For the time being they've cleared out practically all the hunters save for the most senior ones."

"Which doesn't include you."

"Precisely."

The knight sighed. "I'm going to go and see Samaroh. At least I'll be in Prontera and where the Chivalry can find me when they need me."

"Yeah, and you can tell him how much we're missing him," said Nocturne. "You know, it _was_ odd of you to say that, but come to think of it I miss him, too. All that arguing can't take place without him, y'know what I mean?"

"I know," said Valkron, rolling up the register and giving Nocturne a look. "I know."

* * *

Prontera was just as busy again. Valkron moved through the crowds without anyone giving him a glance or so. He never rode his peco unless he was out in the wilderness; besides, he also did not want to attract attention to himself.

Samaroh was slightly better than before - at least well enough to sit up for short periods of time. He greeted Valkron with a weak smile.

"How are things going in Repherion?" he asked.

"Well, we've realised that you're somewhat lacking in our midst and therefore it just isn't the Raulus without you," said Valkron simply.

The priest took a few sconds to work this out. "Ah."

"I'm being serious."

"Yeah, okay."

"No, really." Valkron sat down on the chair next to his bed. "We miss you."

It most probably dawned on Samaroh that the knight was not making fun of him just then. "_Really?_"

"Oh, yeah, really," said Valkron, rolling his eyes in exasperation. "What do you think I keep saying it?"

Samaroh blinked, and then looked down at his hands on the blanket. "Oh. Thanks."

There was an embarrassed pause, in which Valkron knew his words had touched some soft part of Samaroh. Then the knight continued, "But we need you by this week. I have plans for going after Merseitzdeitz. It's just that if you're not well by then I think we'll hang around and defend Repherion for another day."

"You can go on ahead without me, can't you?" asked the priest.

"No."

"Why?"

"Because you're still the resident priest, just as much as Emeth is still the resident wizard. We don't have any replacements for you, and you've proved invaluable during battle. No, don't try and argue with me on that point," Valkron added, seeing Samaroh open his mouth, "because for a priest who originally only specified in healing you're pretty good in battle now. Admit it. Yes, it may have taken you a long time, but I'll be damned if a priest of mine doesn't improve over the days."

Samaroh sighed. "I don't know why you keep saying that I'm good. I run out of breath every time I try to cast Magnus Exorcismus--"

"Then how did you cast Ultima Magna Exorcisma?"

The priest gaped at him. "What? What does that have to do with now?"

"It may have been three months ago, but I know you're the kind of person who sticks to it once you've learned it. Am I right?"

The silence this time was even longer. Then Samaroh said, "I don't know. I don't remember how I did it."

Valkron raised an eyebrow.

"No, really. I just...cast it. That's why I keep saying it was a fluke. Besides, I collapsed right after it, didn't I?"

Valkron gave up. "Okay, never mind about that. Other than that, get well. The others send you their regards. I should be leaving you now, anyway - you're falling asleep while I'm talking."

He left Samaroh a little while later and headed to the Chivalry. There was probably some work to do--

Something zipped past him. Valkron automatically ducked; he felt another whistle past the top of his head. Then something hit him in the midriff, throwing him down onto the ground.

Valkron shook the hair out of his eyes just in time to see the purple-haired sage he had fought with deflect arrows with her staff. Next to him was her sister - the blonde dancer.

"You okay there?" asked the sage, looking over her shoulder at him. "Bit of a sneaky character, these Black Cross people."

Valkron looked up at where she was facing. There was another dancer on the roof of a nearby house. He recognised it to be Reita, this time with a red scarf around her neck and covering her mouth and nose. It would have been difficult to recognise her, but Valkron had also seen the familiar tattoo of the Black Cross on her shoulder. When she saw him looking up at her she gave him a sour look and disappeared over the roof.

"There, danger's over." The sage looked down at them. "Kala, let him get up. We can't have you pinning a knight to the ground."

"Nice tackle, though," said Valkron, grinning. Kala gave him a look, while her sister laughed.

The knight got to his feet. "Thanks for saving me. I owe you one."

"Oh, no, Valkron, you don't owe us anything." The sage smiled. "I think you still remember my name?"

"What was it...oh yes, Nalini." Valkron gave her a wary look. "Don't tell me you were going to blast me if I said I didn't remember."

"I could have," she said. "But I don't. Yes, you're right."

Valkron held out his hand. Nalinin looked at it, and then took it.

"Nice to meet a man who accepts women in such offensive roles," she said, shaking hands with him.

"Isn't it obvious, Nalini?" said Kala. Her voice had a higher pitch than her sister's. "He's got a crusader for a girlfriend."

"Ex_cuse_ me, I don't use the word girlfriend," said Valkron, bristling. "I'd rather you say lover."

"Yes, but the word 'lover' has such a _forbidden_, affair-ish sound to it," said Nalini. She laughed at Valkron's expression. "All right, all right."

"Well, thank you. If you really say that you don't want me to owe you anything, then I'll go." Valkron turned as he spoke, towards the Chivalry.

"Wait, Valkron," said Nalini. "Actually, there _is_ one thing you could do for us."

The knight looked over his shoulder at her. "What is it?"

* * *

Iruna smiled at Valkron as he entered the kitchen.

"Hlin's done a good job with the construction plans of the dining hall, I see," he said. "Quite...roomy."

"It's to accommodate all the future members of the guild," said Iruna.

"Three hundred is a bit overdoing it, don't you think?" The knight pulled off his visor. I don't even know if we're ever going to get that many people in this guild before the other guilds just stamp on us."

"I wouldn't say that," said the crusader. "You've got the Exodus Faction, the Seven Eyes and the Defenders of Prontera on your side. I don't doubt for one bit that Apocalypse Ultima would join in as well."

"And what makes you think the leader of Apocalypse Ultima would just jump on the bandwagon?" retorted the knight, sitting down. "He's now having the second most powerful guild in the kingdom. Adiemus lost a castle to the Black Cross, by the way."

"Really? Which one?" asked Iruna, sitting up.

"Holy Shadow, in Payon." Valkron sighed. "I don't know what's happening. I haven't seen Adiemus for some time. The word on the street says that Adiemus is losing his ground against the Black Cross, and the Seven Eyes is angling for Apocalypse Ultima's Bright Arbor."

"And I thought the anti-Black Cross campaign would last."

"Evidently it's not going to." Valkron paused, and then said, "By the way, about twenty small guilds have been erased completely from the list."

"Why?"

"The Black Cross, what else? Small guilds as in those that don't have a castle or a good, stable economy, by the way. And Raven met me today in the Chivalry. He said that the Eye of Odin has been disbanded."

Iruna raised an eyebrow. "This sounds horrible."

"Oh, not because of the Black Cross. Well, not directly. Horus is dead."

The crusader stared at him.

"Yeah, I know." Valkron was gazing distantly at the opposite wall. "The priests of Apocalypse Ultima tried to keep him alive for the whole week, but...well..."

They were interrupted by shouting from outside the kitchen. Valkron and Iruna walked out to see a violet-haired sage shouting at Emeth, who looked shocked to the point of speechlessness.

"--and if you ever brush past me like that again I swear I'm going to ram this where the sun doesn't shine!" she was yelling. "And believe me, you won't want this staff where it isn't supposed to go!"

"It was an accident! Do you think I intentionally touch people?" said Emeth.

"You? Oh, you've got some reputation, Emeth! Don't think I don't know you!" The sage was waving around her staff so ferociously that he had to lean back even further to avoid getting hit by the sharp tip. "Your name's a much spoken one in the Geffen Magic Academy! People may look up to you, but I don't, and you'd better remember that!"

"It's not like I want people to look up to me, if you don't want to you're very much welcome to--"

"Don't change the subject, you scallywag!"

"Hold it!" said Valkron frantically, running in between them and shoving aside the sage's staff. "Calm down! I don't want you to poke my wizard's eye out!"

"Oh, thanks very much, Valkron," muttered the wizard.

"Do you have some bone to pick with Emeth, or what?" asked Valkron. "If you do you could at least talk to me first, Nalini."

"Best to let a man have his own lesson from a woman," said Nalini, clearly still infuriated. "And he deserves it! Ooh, how I wish I could whack the stuffing out of you!"

"Stop, stop! Emeth, you'd better leave now before she really does do that. Look," he said to Nalini, "I'd like it if someone doesn't walk into the castle and start attacking someone from my guild. Now, explain."

"Hah," said Nalini. "Why didn't Emeth tell you?"

Valkron looked at Emeth. The wizard was staring elsewhere.

"Does it matter who tells me?" he asked Nalini.

"Oh, yes."

Emeth stared sullenly at the floor. Then he said, "She used to be my girlfriend till I went off to Comodo."

Valkron broke the silence with an embarrassed cough. "Okay, that's very nice of you to tell me. Thank you, Emeth, now go before she kicks you. Nalini, just go. Please. You're actually a probationary member right now, so if you want to stay it's best if you just try to ignore whatever has transpired in the past. Move along now."

With one last glare at Emeth Nalini went off. Valkron turned back to Emeth.

"Interesting life you had, didn't you?" he said dryly.

Emeth did not reply.

"Get off with you. Go. Shoo."

The wizard turned and headed for the doors of the castle. But Valkron realised then that Kushana had walked in while they had been arguing. As she watched Emeth walk out the knight was sure the wizard had turned his head ever so slightly towards her, and then turned his head away, as if in shame.

* * *

When the rest of the guild, save for Emeth, returned that night Valkron introduced Nalini and Kala to them.

"What happened to your old guild?" asked Nocturne, looking up from his dinner. Hlin cooked for them, for now, but she was seeking help from the Kafra Corporation so that she could cater for the thirty odd members of the guild.

"The Black Cross mowed it down," said Nalini simply.

"I'm interested in how that happens," said Khan. "What do they do? Blackmail the leader?"

"I'm actually not too sure about how," said the sage, rubbing the tip of her nose thoughtfully. "But there were some rumours about how the Black Cross threatened the leaders of the other small guilds with their power. It probably was just a warning to stay out of the War of Emperium, but I think the guilds took one step further and disbanded, just in case."

"Sounds like a wise move," said the assassin. "Vineis must be getting ready to clamp down on the next region, and my guess is they're targeting Greenwood Lake. After all, what do you think made them force the Exodus Faction out of Bright Arbor?"

"You might be right," said Nalini thoughtfully. "But then again it's been said that Vineis' ambitions lie in the north of the kingdom. What would they do with the south? Most people assume that the south of the kingdom is the uncivilized part."

"Why so?" said Valkron, frowning. "Khan and Amaru are from the south, and they're pretty civilized to me."

"It's a stereotype," answered Nalini. "Trust people to form that in their minds. Besides, most rogues of the Brotherhood are from the south, and so are all the...rough and tough people, like hunters and monks and the sort."

"I don't think I'm rough and tough," said Nocturne.

"No, you're smooth and soft," said Valkron, rolling his eyes. "She means the kind of people who are used to a rough life and as a result behave like that."

"Oh."

Valkron turned back to Nalini and Kala. "A friend of mine recommended me to get a bard and a dancer. Why is that so? I'm new at this WoE business, so don't give me any funny looks."

"For a greenhorn who's just come into town you've made pretty good progress," said the sage, smiling.

"Don't talk to me about it, I've had enough of that from the guild leaders. Please explain."

"It's because bards and dancers paired together are some of the best supporters during a guild war," explained Kala. "We have standalone skills and skills that must be performed with our counterpart, called ensemble skills."

"And with good reason," added Nalini.

"When I'm here I can help you out, such as slinging arrows with my whip, or enhancing your senses. With a bard I can do much more, like playing a song that will, say, save your wizard and priest some energy when they're casting their own spells."

Valkron raised his eyebrows. "That sounds good."

"You haven't seen what we can do just yet," said the dancer.

"We'll have to wait till we get a bard, shall we? Okay." Valkron turned to the rest of the guild. "Are all the members of the guild council sitting here, and only them? Excluding Emeth."

"Yes," said Iruna.

"You've heard how we met them, and how Nalini saved my neck. What do you say?"

"Yes," said Khan, while Amaru nodded.

"Yes," said Nocturne.

"Yes!" said Eni excitedly, clasping her hands together. Aramithar nodded as well.

"Yes," said Kushana.

Valkron looked at Iruna. The crusader smiled. "Yes."

"What?" said Nalini, looking bewildered.

Valkron turned to look at her. "Welcome to the Raulus guild council, Nalini, Kala. You're on probation for two weeks. After that - we'll see."

"Cool!" said Kala, several seconds later. Nalini was still staring at him.

There was knocking on the kitchen door just then. Valkron went to open it. Hlin was standing in the doorway.

"A message from a Prontera Church runner," she said. "Samaroh wants his pack delivered to him by midnight."

"Whatever for? I certainly hope he's not going to treat himself. I do trust his techniques, but I doubt his skills would ever go past magic."

"I don't know. The runner also said that Samaroh told him to tell you that whatever you think of his idea you should just do what he says, if you want to try and claim Merseitzdeitz."

"Okay, _now_ I'm convinced he's mad," said Valkron, staring at her. "Nocturne, could you go and get his pack? Or anyone? I hope he doesn't end up killing himself in the process."

The hunter excused himself from the kitchen. Hlin bowed and left. Valkron shut the door. "This guild never fails to surprise me every time."

"So is there anything else you want to talk to us about, Valkron?" asked Iruna. "We've got a lot of people yawning here."

"Yeah, just one. Our placement from the Swordsmen's Academy is coming after the WoE session in the middle of the week, so I want you lot to welcome her. Nicely. Don't scare her off, or make her want to quit - if you do I will see to you personally."

"What took her so long?" asked Khan.

"Procedures," said Valkron, looking up at the ceiling. "Don't even ask."

"We won't," assured the assassin.

"What about Emeth?" asked Eni. "He doesn't know."

"He'll know, in time. And besides...he's not really involved with her, at any rate. Who's on patrol duty for the night?" he added, with general groaning in response.

"Aw, come on, we need some sleep too!" protested Nocturne, who had just returned.

"I'm doing my turn tonight, if you want to know. I swear the rota's up somewhere. I'll go take a look at it--"

"Fine, fine," said the hunter. "I'm up for the second half, just don't kick me awake when it's my shift."

"Fair's fair."

* * *

As agreed Valkron spent his first night on patrol duty for four hours, from ten to two in the morning. He spent most of it sitting at the lone desk in the hallway, facing the doors, and doing his work.

At about two, when he was getting ready to get Nocturne and go to bed, the small door beside the larger doors opened. Every large building had to have its alternate ways, but Valkron disliked it. He'd locked it every night, and given only his guild members the key to it.

The knight watched, wary and cautious as the door swung open. But it was Emeth who entered and shut the door, locking it behind him as he did.

Valkron watched the wizard walk towards him, frowning slightly. Emeth passed him without a word, but in the dim light of the few torches flickering in the hallway he seemed gaunt and tired. His eyes had dark rings around them and appeared to be slightly sunken.

In the silence of the night Emeth's footsteps faded away into the darkness. Valkron watched, a still figure outlined by the light of the torches, for a few minutes longer before he resumed his packing up and left the table.


	19. A Game Begins

Chapter 19

**A Game Begins**

Although another WoE session was drawing closer the leaders of the big guilds didn't seem to be fazed by it. It had become a part of their life, a part that they were used to so much that there just didn't seem to be any more excitement to be derived from such an event.

But Raven knew that was not the reason why Adiemus had not come to the party the King threw for the big guilds.

The leader of the Defenders of Prontera had received the invitation a week ago. He had mulled over it before talking to Alya and Adiemus - well, mostly Alya. The crusader had simply said, "I'm not going."

After some time Alya decided not to go either. Raven, desperate to stay away from the others, opted for not going as well. The excuses they gave were similar - too much administration work to catch up on.

Raven also knew for a fact that the leader of Apocalypse Ultima had politely but firmly rejected the invitation. He had not known why.

"Excuse me, sir?"

Raven turned around to see a little thief girl standing to attention. He was in the headquarters of the Brotherhood of the Grey Wolves, deep down in the Prontera Culverts. As a high ranking rogue he had his own private room - an old abandoned cellar.

"Yes, what is it?" he asked.

"There's a message for you."

Raven took the paper she offered to him with a raised eyebrow. He unfolded it and ran his eyes over the handwritten message.

_Raven,_

_I would like you to come to Scarlet Palace at 9 tonight._

_Adiemus._

Raven had never seen such a short message in his life. Adiemus had a tendency to write long letters to his closest friends; it was not because he had a lot of free time on his hands, but because he enjoyed communicating his opinions freely, and yet not overwhelming his listeners with them. It was this particular behaviour that gave the crusader his amiable, friendly reputation.

However, the letter seemed very formal. Raven had a slight suspicion as to what it was, but for now he did not say anything.

"All right," he said to the thief, folding up the letter. "Thank you very much."

After the thief had gone Raven left his office. He emerged from the exit not far off from Prontera and went to find the forever convenient Kafra employee, who seemed to require no sleep at all.

The whirlwind ride took him to Payon. There he made his way to Greenwood Lake, one of three blissfully monster-free castle areas in the kingdom.

Scarlet Palace was often mistaken as another of the Payon castles, Sacred Palace. This was nor surprising, considering that both had similar names. However, what made Scarlet Palace stand out from the rest was the fact that it was situated right out in the middle of the vast Greenwood Lake itself.

Raven stood on the top of a hill and looked down at Greenwood Lake. From where he was he could see the lights from the castle windows, reflected in the calm, dark waters. He could even hear the laughter and cheering that rang out across the lake from the guild castles, save for the one castle that remained unoccupied.

The rogue made his way to Scarlet Palace. The guards standing outside the gates immediately recognized him and let him pass.

Raven knocked on the small door next to the mighty main doors of the castle. It was duly opened by Alya, who beckoned him and did not speak until she had shut the door.

"What's going on, Alya?" asked Raven. "Seems to me we're having some sort of...meeting."

"You could say that," said the sage. "Come on."

They made their way to the dining hall. It was rumoured to be able to accommodate five hundred; Raven could not believe he was actually seeing it.

But now the hall was empty save for its rows of benches and tables, and two men sitting at a table near the far end of the hall. Raven recognized them to be Adiemus and the leader of Apocalypse Ultima.

"Raven's here," announced Alya, as they reached the table.

The priest looked up at them and smiled vaguely. "Good timing, Raven. You are on time. Do sit."

Raven cast a wary glance at Adiemus, who was staring dejectedly at the wood.

"Oh, you'll understand what the matter is about eventually," said the priest. "Do sit, Raven."

The rogue took his seat next to Adiemus, who showed no sign of being aware that the rogue had arrived. Alya, meanwhile, had taken a seat next to the priest.

"So what are we here for?" asked Raven. "Don't tell me this is why we refused the invitation to the party."

"Oh, no, Raven," said the priest placidly, pouring a cup of tea and pushing it towards the rogue. "You could say that this meeting was a result of _not_ going to it."

Raven paused in the middle of lifting his teacup. "What do you mean?"

"He means that the meeting was called since we don't actually have anything to do as we turned the invitation down," explained Alya.

"The Black Cross is becoming far too aggressive for the kingdom," said the priest, his placid expression becoming solemn. "Even the Legionnaires are afraid of them. Soon the large guilds will step down and let the Black Cross have its way."

"And what exactly are you trying to imply here?" asked the rogue suspiciously. "That we should try to stop the Black Cross? That would be suicidal."

"Yes, but we have to do _something_," said Alya. "If we're not careful the guild may even try to expand itself into the kingdom's elite army!"

"What?"

"Don't you understand yet, Raven? The Black Cross is the most powerful guild in terms of numbers, of strength and of skill. It looms over us like a massive wave at sea. Any moment now and it will crash down us, drowning us all."

Raven could see Alya was clearly distressed, but before he could say anything to comfort her, the priest said, "Exactly. And I'm sure we're not going to let them do that."

"And how are we going to do it?" asked Raven, letting a bit too much sarcasm into his tone.

"I was not expecting the leader of the Defenders of Prontera to say that, Raven," said the priest severely.

"Well, what can we do?" asked the rogue. "In terms of our power and strength combined the Black Cross overtakes us. It's far too superior to plot against, whatever it takes."

"The Black Cross uses its members like tools."

Everyone looked at Adiemus, who was still gazing at the table. His voice, mechanical and lifeless, had created more impact than the other three had done.

"Don't we all?" said Alya.

"Not like how the Black Cross does it," said Adiemus, speaking in a low, slow tone. "Especially that new member of theirs. That priest wearing black robes."

As one the other two looked at the priest - and did not press the matter. The man's face had shut down completely, and they knew that pursuing the matter would yield nothing from him.

"How did he kill Horus using that spell?" asked Adiemus, more to himself than to anyone else. "He can kill a man without touching him, they say. He can sit two hundred miles in Luina or the Valkyrie Realms and kill a man in Comodo. People run out of the way when he walks down a street in Prontera. Everyone fears him."

Afetr a while Alya coughed and said, "Sedir will probably fade into the background, sooner or later. Vineis always look for fresh talent."

"Do you think _any_ member of the Black Cross would 'fade into the background'? demanded Raven.

"Uh...well, no."

"It's not you to pretend that everything will blow over," said Raven. "What the _hell_ is going on here? And if you're going to discuss how we're going to overthrow the Black Cross, then I'm leaving--"

"Sit _down_, Raven."

There was something in the priest's voice that made the rogue sit down. They looked at him.

"I know it will be difficult to stop them," he said. "But we cannot let this go on. We are not just leaders of the biggest guilds in the kingdom, we are leaders of the most senior guilds. That Guild Correspondent may hold the last word to any guild's rights, but we are the people the citizens look up to. The Black Cross has gone too far. Agreed?"

"I'm not too sure what your definition of 'too far' is," said Alya.

"Well, this is the time when I say it has gone to far," answered the priest, blinking calmly. "I have let it go one too many times, but now I cannot stand their presence in the kingdom. They must go."

"And exactly how are we going to get rid of them?" asked Raven.

"We have only one hope," said Adiemus, sitting up and looking at them. "Just one hope. I have faith in Geffen's new guild."

"What, the Guardians of Geffen?" said Raven, with much disdain. "They've gone slack recently, I don't know what you see in them--"

"I'm not talking about the Guardians of Geffen, Raven. I'm talking about the _other_ guild. The Guild of Rebirth."

"We don't have a guild called that--"

Alya elbowed Raven in the ribs. "Will you stop being so sceptic? Your doubt is blocking your thinking."

Raven stared at her. Then he said, "You've got to be joking."

"It's our only hope." Adiemus' voice hardened. "I am not letting the Black Cross take another castle of mine. And I am in full support of the guild."

"I agree," said Alya. The priest nodded.

Raven looked around at them and sighed. "I don't have a choice, do I? But if that knight gets angry with us I'm not going to be there to take the blame. Deal?"

* * *

Iruna found Valkron sitting at the kitchen table and staring at the opposite wall. She sighed. The knight had been mooning about for the day, and it didn't seem like he was going to stop any time soon. 

Finally she sat down next to him. "Valkron?"

"Hm?"

"You've been so uptight about this ever since yesterday. Come on, you can't just sit around and stare your eyes out of their sockets. You've got better things to do."

"I know," said Valkron distractedly. "But right now I don't."

"It still doesn't mean you can just sit here."

"I'm thinking."

"About what?"

"About how to get over this problem with Samaroh and Emeth."

"I'm sure we'll be fine without Samaroh-- wait, what does Emeth have to do with this?"

"Something else. If you've been watching him you'd know."

The crusader gave him a look. "That's not very helpful."

"I can't tell you anything further about it. I promised not to tell anyone else. The problem is that he hasn't spoken to anyone about it either. It's probably why it's plaguing him."

"All this talk about 'it, it, it' is not going to help either."

"I can't talk about it! Can't you understand? Now leave me alone."

Iruna put a hand to her forehead. "I don't know why I bother with you sometimes."

"Then don't!"

Valkron saw her startled look and softened. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to shout. Iruna, I'm just worried about our guild. It seems like we're getting nowhere, apart from having Nalini and Kala in our council now. And with Emeth's standoffish attitude and Samaroh's absence it feels like I'm going through a particularly bottleneck time of my life. You know? Like things are getting difficult, and I'm seriously concerned with what's going on."

The crusader smiled a little. "Sometimes you put too much on your shoulders, or you force yourself to carry a matter longer than necessary. I'm sure we'll do fine without Samaroh. Isn't that what being in a guild is all about? Flexibility, adaptation and the like?"

Valkron massaged his forehead in anxiety. "That's also what I'm worried about, Iruna."

"About not being flexible? Oh, come on." Iruna reached out and gently turned his face towards her so that he was looking straight into her eyes. "That's coming from a man who's in his late thirties and solving everything the world throws at him in his usual, cynical, strict way."

Valkron laughed. "Is that really coming from you, Iruna?"

At this Iruna laughed as well. Valkron warmed to the sound of it; with her clear, rippling laugh he felt as if a burden had lifted from his shoulders. He leaned forward and kissed her on the lips.

There was a sound from the door. The two of them broke apart to see Emeth standing in the doorway. Valkron felt alarmed at the sight of him - the wizard looked so tired and weary that he seemed to be capable of collapsing any minute.

"Emeth, are you all right?" he said, getting up from his chair. "Where have you been? I haven't seen you all day."

"Out. Academy." The wizard's voice was cracked; Iruna quickly got a glass of water and gave it to him. He accepted it and drank before continuing. "Exams."

"What, marking papers?"

"Yeah."

"Sit down, Emeth," said the crusader. The wizard shook his head.

"I'm going up to my room to get some proper sleep before tomorrow," he said hoarsely. "Thanks for the water."

"Wait, you could just stay and talk about--" began Valkron.

He fell silent when the wizard turned to look at him.

"I've had enough for one day," he said. "I don't need to see anymore of this...this _human chemistry_ when I haven't already had it. I don't even want to see you for the rest of today, Valkron. Good day."

The door shut.

Iruna sat back down. "I guess we can't help him, Valkron. Or he just doesn't want us to help...Valkron?"

The knight was still standing and looking at the door. He snorted. "Emeth does want us to help. But if he's not going to come clean about it I'm not going to pitch in. The more he does this the more he's going to shame himself in front of everybody."

"You're not going to let him do that, are you?" said Iruna, horrified.

"Up to a certain extent, no. But sometimes I can't be there for everyone, and Emeth's got to stand up for himself eventually." Valkron shook his head. "I wish he'd forget that stupid past of his and move on. Or at least accept it. There's got to be worse things than having a reputation for sleeping with girls. It's not even his fault."

"He blames himself for it, that's why," said the crusader. "I can see it in his haphazard, disorganized behaviour. Give him a break."

When Valkron spoke next Iruna stared at his back in shock.

"Sometimes when your dreams have been shattered, your life ripped apart, your heart scarred, you're afraid to go on. You're afraid it might happen to you again. But whatever happened, Iruna...I never gave myself a break. I never gave up. I chose not to run away."

* * *

In Repherion Emeth took a shower and went to bed, while Valkron and Iruna resumed their talking. 

In Scarlet Palace the four guild leaders discussed their plans.

In the royal castle the other guilds celebrated.

And somewhere in Prontera someone smiled to himself as he examined his arm.

"'I'll be damned if a priest of mine doesn't improve over the days', huh?" he said. "Sorry, mate. It isn't just about you now. I've got a pride to take care of."

* * *

The next day dawned gloomy and grey. As Valkron dressed he could see thick clouds swirling across the sky. Thunder rumbled in the distance. 

"If there's going to be a storm during the war I'm going to throw a right fit," he said to the table in general, as they had breakfast.

"We'll see," said Kushana. "I don't really expect storms in autumn, at any rate."

But as time wore on and the clouds showed no sign of clearing, the rest of the guild began to get restless. Only those who had been ever involved on the frontlines, like Valkron, Khan and Iruna, were quite calm. But then, one hour before the war was slated to begin, an archer came running in with bad news.

"Sir!" he shouted, running towards Valkron. "We've got company!"

"If it's the Black Cross _I'm_ going to throw a right fit," muttered Emeth, but no one heeded him.

"Who is it this time?" asked Valkron, as the archer came to a stop in front of him.

"The Guardians of Geffen."

Valkron covered his face with his hand.

"Close," said Emeth.

"_Now_ what are we going to do?" asked Nocturne, slinging his bow over his shoulder. Behind him Kushana was feeding her falcon with scraps of raw meat. "At least it isn't the Black Cross, but this is just as bad."

It was. According to Nocturne when he had run up to the sniper areas and had taken a look, the guild had brought its hundred-strong members along. They were waiting just outside Britoniah.

"This is only an estimation," said Valkron, when he had called all the members of the Raulus guild together, "but my expectations are that the Guardians make a beeline for Merseitzdeitz, or they charge towards Repherion. If they come here we stay here and defend Repherion; never mind about Merseitzdeitz. I want all of you to defend this place with all your strength. If they go for Merseitzdeitz we'll try to take it from under them. I'll be damned if I can't - I've been through that castle so many times I know every single little thing about it."

"But they have more people than we do," said someone.

"That's exactly the problem. They have enough people to split up into two groups, and even if it's that way they can still overwhelm us with their numbers. I'm not going to try and make you all feel better by saying that numbers don't matter."

"So how are we going to deal with this?" asked Nalini.

Valkron looked around at them. "Right. The only thing that has a high chance of actually saving our necks is a bit of organized defence. Nalini, can you take Kala, and...four other people with you to the front doors? No, wait. Take Amaru and Emeth, and two other people. I want four melee attackers to go with Iruna to the emperium room. Aramithar, station yourself near the warp to the first floor. I know this sounds strange, but I want you to throw as many flammable potions and acid bottles as you can. Is that okay?"

"Believe me, I'm used to orders like that," said the alchemist.

"Good. Eni, go with one of the acolytes and load your cart with bottles full of that glistening coat mixture you always make. I know the Guardians have a reputation for bringing along a lot of rogues with them."

"I've got them all ready."

"Okay, that's done. Get to your positions now, I need to see who's left. Ah, yes. Khan. I need you to station yourself as a gate defence near the warp to the second floor. Take five people along with you as well. If you feel overwhelmed retreat to the warp to the third floor, try to recover and then push back as hard as you can."

Got it," said the assassin, before sprinting off.

"Who else...Nocturne, Kushana, I want both of you up on the sniper areas. Try hindering as many of them as much as you can. The archer guardians will help you, but remember you're the only ones with those magnolia cards in your bows. Nocturne, booby trap the whole floor around the warp to the first floor, after Aramithar's group has got there. Exploit those cards to your heart's delight, and don't give a damn for them. Bring these archers along with you - the spells in the walls don't apply to them."

"All right!" shouted Nocturne, speeding off.

"Right-o." Valkron looked around. "Looks like it's just you and me."

The 'you' in question was the few remaining members who had not been taken. They were mostly teenagers, coming close to adulthood.

"Right. I have a very important job for all of you."

They looked at him. Valkron was not used to having eyes turned on him like that, but he went for it anyway.

"You guys are to go and supply everyone with help. Passing potions between groups, conveying information, scouting up on the sniper areas, telling us how much has progressed...all these are very important. Unfortunately our guild isn't very well balanced at this moment. It depends on you guys as much as it depends on those who went off." Valkron nodded at them. "Go. Don't let our guild down."

The teenagers nodded and ran off. Valkron watched them go.

_Damn_, he thought. _Samaroh's not here. He's the only one capable of mass healing, and we need him right now. We really, really need him right now._

* * *

Adiemus looked over the battlements as his guild prepared themselves for the War of Emperium. 

"The Black Cross isn't participating in this session, sir," said a hunter next to him, looking at the crusader.

"I'm not expecting them to be," he answered. "They celebrate every time they get a new castle. Well, they have reason to."

"Are we going to fight for Holy Shadow, sir?"

"No. I'm not losing this castle to anyone else." Adiemus looked up in the distance. "What other guilds are out there?"

"The usual, sir. Reports state that we've got the Odyssey, the Gilters, Exorcisma and the Seven Eyes."

"I bet the Legionnaires and Apocalypse Ultima are getting ready to defend their castles, too," said Adiemus, tightening the strap that held together the massive shoulder armour he wore. "Looks like no one's going to try and invade today."

"Certainly the appearance of the war today, sir."

Adiemus looked up from adjusting his sword girdle. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, nothing."

Adiemus looked out again at Greenwood Lake. Guilds were pouring in like a river. He sighed.

"Bring it on," he said.

* * *

All around Rune-Midgard every clock struck two. 

The great horns sounded.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Okay, by this time I think people would be getting confused. Anyway, it's been a long time since I actually wrote an author's note concerning the story directly, so hah. MY TURN.

For those who don't play RO, or who don't go for regular WoE sessions, or in general just don't give a damn, here are the names for the castles and the current situation. The pictures of where the castles are situated are from the game itself, and the numbering of the castles in the list corresponds to the numbering in the pictures.

In Britoniah (Geffen),

1) Repherion (currently occupied by the Raulus)

2) Eyorbriggar (unoccupied)

3) Yesnelph (unoccupied)

4) Bergel (unoccupied)

5) Merseitzdeitz (unoccupied, currently under contest)

In the Valkyrie Realms (Prontera),

1) Kriemhild

2) Swanhild

3) Fadhgrindh

4) Skoegul

5) Gondul

All are currently occupied by the Black Cross.

In Luina (Al de Baran),

1) Neuschwanstein

2) Hohenschwangau ( -- bloody mouthful IMO O.o)

3) Nuernberg

4) Wuerzburg

5) Rothenburg

All are currently occupied by the Black Cross.

In Greenwood Lake (Payon),

1) Bright Arbor (currently occupied by Apocalypse Ultima)

2) Sacred Palace (currently occupied by the Legionnaires)

3) Holy Shadow (taken from the Exodus Faction, currently occupied by the Black Cross)

4) Scarlet Palace (currently occupied by the Exodus Faction)

5) Bamboo Grove Hill (unoccupied)

Hope that helped.


	20. Unexpected Moves

Chapter 20

**Unexpected Moves**

Valkron swore, much later, that he had never expected such a horrible war. To be frank he had been expecting the Guardians to charge in on them, but what he had not expected was for them to charge in _all at once_.

In his lifetime, as a mercenary, he had seen this happen countless times. But thankfully Repherion's gates were not as large as those of the other castles in Britoniah, and it was also not a very good plan when there was a wizard casting three to four spells one after the other right in front of them.

Needless to say, he was impressed to see that they deployed a sage after two unsuccessful tries to force themselves past Emeth. For now the wizard was their key to blocking up the gate, but there were people who escaped the powerful magic. In that case a few blacksmiths - good friends of Amaru - and Valkron dealt with them.

When the sage ran in there was a bit of a panic. The first thing he did was to break through Emeth's spellcasting, throwing the wizard off his feet. Then he pulled out two gemstones, one blue and one yellow, and threw them at the ground. They shattered into sparkling shards, before a massive grid materialised out of the floor.

It was Nalini who cancelled the spell. She slammed the tip of her staff onto the ground. The hallway acquired a bluish tinge to it.

"Emeth!" she shouted.

The wizard didn't need telling twice. The enemy sage was slammed into the wall by three massive water balls.

After that the Guardians became desperate. They began to force in monks. Valkron went to solve the problem, and was rewarded with three gashes across his cheek.

The knight growled and whirled his sword into a blur. The monk leapt for him, and earned a powerful whack in his stomach. As he reeled Valkron brought the hilt down on his head.

"I hate war," he muttered under his breath. His cheek was stinging.

Eni ran past and threw a white potion at Emeth, who was casting furiously. Without turning his head the wizard snatched the potion out of mid-air, yanked the cork off with his teeth and drank deeply, at the same time plaguing the Guardians with a frustrating marsh, seven pillars of light, ten bolts of lightning and a howling blizzard.

Amaru, meanwhile, was giving the Guardians a lot of trouble. Zeny coins were proving to be a powerful hindrance, while he also had a habit of suddenly slamming his hammer into the ground. Most of the charging Guardians were stunned within seconds, leaving Valkron, Nalini, Emeth and Kala to finish them off easily.

But it did not last for long. Suddenly Valkron found himself in the midst of his members retreating.

"What the hell..."

The Guardians came in like a vengeful flood. Valkron grabbed his peco's reins and mounted the bird.

"You want a battle?" he muttered. "I'll give you one, all right."

A lot of ex-Guardians, to this day, still wince at the recollection of Valkron clearing a whole troop out with his scythe.

But they were being pushed back. The Guardians had massive numbers, and even Valkron felt like he couldn't stand it anymore.

"Fall back!" he shouted, waving his scythe at his group. "Fall back to the portal! Regroup there!"

His group was only too happy to do so. They joined Aramithar, where he had thrown so many plant bottles that right in front of them was a whole field of what looked like very large flowers.

"Did I overdo something?" he asked Valkron.

"At this time, overdoing sounds like a good idea."

The Guardians came in. That was when they underestimated the little group by the portal. As they came arrows whistled past them. Valkron looked up to see the Raulus' archer guardians firing arrows constantly at the flood.

But that was not all. Valkron's strategy had paid off. Members of the Guardians were collapsing there and then on the floor, as even more arrows suddenly rained down on them. The priests were trying their best to revive their fallen comrades, but it was that or protect themselves with Kyrie Eleison. Given the fact that they were priests it did not take long for the Guardians to back off.

"Right, we need to get healed as fast as we can," said Valkron. "Nocturne and Kushana are lucky they're not down here facing this load of shi-- crack."

"The cards were a good idea," said Nalini, looking up.

"You haven't seen the end of it yet. Come on, someone help me with these cuts on my face. They sting the hell out of me."

During the time it took the Guardians to regroup outside the castle Nocturne hurried down and set traps a distance away from the group. Valkron made a mental note of the general area where he placed them.

"Your cards are nice," he said to Valkron. "I like them."

"Good use of Arrow Shower there, I see," said the knight, grinning. He hadn't had time to heal the cuts on his face properly, so there was a large bandage taped onto his face.

"Credit Kushana." Nocturne looked him up and down. "Good luck, Valkron."

The second wave began right after that. Arrows whistled down onto the Guardians as they tackled the warp defence - or rather, tried to. It was a shock for them when traps detonated right under their feet.

"I love hunters," said Valkron, as the dust settled.

Aramithar gave him a look, but said nothing.

Valkron charged, whirling his scythe. By himself he was a formidable force indeed. Aramithar threw acid bottles along with flammable potions, so most of the time the place was filled with smoke. Valkron's eyes began to water after a while, and he had to retreat, coughing, as the alchemist's pitching skills made themselves felt on the Guardians.

But the guild was not giving up. They forced the group onto the next floor. Valkron had completely forgotten about placing a defence for this portal, and so they were driven back right up to the portal leading to the third floor.

"Good day, Khan," said Valkron, pushing past the assassin. "Looks like we're in for it."

"You had to say that, didn't you?" said Khan dryly.

As if the Guardians had found renewed vigour with this success they started to push forward. Valkron, still mounted on his peco, reorganized his group. The Guardians still had to face a mighty amount of painful magic and an even more painful amount of cursed arrows, but they had an advantage compared to the Raulus.

"Curse their priests, someone," said Valkron through his gritted teeth.

"Looks like that's not going to happen," said Khan, who was right beside him.

"You had to say that, didn't you?"

There was an explosion; five Guardians were thrown off their feet.

"Are you trying to fun with me?"

They fought furiously, but to no avail. Eventually Valkron broke it off; the group fell back and moved to the third floor.

"All right, anyone here qualified to offer a prayer to anyone up there who might give us a hand?" Valkron asked the group breathlessly.

"I thought a priest was needed for that," said a blacksmith.

"That's exactly what we don't have right now. Anyone else?"

"We could try," volunteered an acolyte, along with a swordsman and a thief.

"Yeah, you do that," said Valkron kindly.

Just then the Guardians crashed in. Luckily the group was saved by one thing both parties had completely overlooked. Valkron fought down the instinct to duck as master guardians came to their rescue, thundering down the long corridors and brandishing their massive swords.

While the Guardians were kept busy with the giants, the little group gathered near the portal to the last floor.

"All right, guys, things are going to get a little messy here," said the knight. "It's all or nothing. If they force us to the fourth floor we'll need to utilise all we can, and all we have. It's the only thing we can do. We're the last defence between the Guardians and the emperium defence we've got."

"Can't we join them now?" asked Kala.

"No, I'd rather not give them an even harder time." Valkron looked back at the crowd fighting to get past the master guardians. "Trust the castle to respond, but it's not enough. This time we're going to stand our ground, and no one's stopping us. Anyone know what time it is?"

Everyone looked around, but no one had a watch with them. Valkron was seriously missing Samaroh by now, but he had no choice.

"OKay. That's it, then. Forget about Merseitzdeitz, we've got Repherion to defend. Are you with me?"

"_Yes!_" shouted the dishevelled, filthy group.

"Are you standing your ground?"

"_Yes!_"

"Ready to give it your all?"

"_Yes!_"

Someone shouted, just then, "Repherion or bust!" The group took it up, shouting it repeatedly, until it sounded like a war chant. Then someone else changed it to "Repherion for Raulus!"

That was what the Guardians heard after they got past the master guardians. They slowed as they heard the chant. Valkron was not cheering, mainly because he was trying not to laugh.

But he was grateful for it.

The Guardians stared at them. No one could blame them.

Valkron pointed his scythe at them. _"Charge!"_

Later on he admitted that it had been the most suicidal thing he had done, apart from fighting Baphomet alone. A lot of the Raulus never forgot the day a group of thirty took on an army of one hundred.

* * *

Things were not as exciting in Greenwood Lake, but these were veteran guilds involved. They were the exception.

Adiemus wiped the sweat off his forehead. For quite some time he had been swinging his sword, stopping people from going any further. It had been quite something to watch, especially when he used his Grand Cross several times.

"I say, that was a spectacular show," said Raven, clapping Adiemus on the back and then absently shaking the blood back into his hand. "I loved that bit where you brought the cross down on--"

"Raven, I appreciate your enthusiasm very much, but to be really frank with you I don't want to relive that all over again," said the crusader wearily. "Could we please leave it at that note? Thank you."

"Sorry about that. I thought you were proud of it. You've got a knack for throwing peo--"

"_Raven._"

"Okay, sorry."

Luckily for the Exodus Faction the guild that had been trying to force them out of Scarlet Palace gave up shortly after. Raven lent his priests to the Exodus Faction.

"I'm surprised you don't want to contest for any of the other agits," said Adiemus, after taking a long draught of white potion. "You can't be set on trying to take the Valkyrie Realms back from the Black Cross. Are you?"

"Well, after I lost all the agits I felt like I lost my spirit, too." Raven sighed. "The Black Cross just took them all like a greedy witch. They could have at least spared one for the Defenders of Prontera. We were a real King's guild back then."

"I guess no one cares about what happened 'back then' anymore, Raven."

"Yeah."

They sat in silence atop the battlements of Scarlet Palace. Although the castle was a long way away from the other castles they could hear the clashing of weapons, the explosions and the shouting across the waters of Greenwood Lake.

"Ah, the good old days when we were actually in charge and taking things seriously," said Raven, after a while. "None of this War of Emperium rubbish. None of politics. No underhand tactics, no Laws and Ordinances of the Guilds of Rune-Midgard, no Guild Correspondent, no bloody guild court cases. I remember when I had just joined the Defenders of Prontera and I was on duty at the gates. They had these amazing..."

Adiemus listened as Raven rambled on, but he was thinking about something else. He was thinking about the day of the Ten Guilds Raid.

"Raven," he said, interrupting the rogue, "what would you do if you found out you died once...and then came back to life?"

"What? What kind of question is that to ask?"

"Just a question."

Raven shrugged. "Sounds suspicious to me. Was I meant to be dead?"

"Don't know."

"It'll depend on that, I guess. If I was meant to be dead I'd rather stay dead. If I wasn't...well, it'll be a miracle then. Why such a depressing question?"

Adiemus looked up into the sky. "Back then...I died once. I'm still not too sure if I was meant to live."

The crusader stared into the sky. Raven stared at the crusader.

Suddenly an explosion shook the area. Birds arose from the trees, sending out warning calls. The calm lake rippled. The two men looked around them, alarmed.

"What was that?" asked Raven.

His question was answered just then. A hunter ran up to the battlements with a spyglass and looked out through it. Then he turned and offered it to Adiemus.

"Sir, Apocalypse Ultima has lost Bright Arbor to the Seven Eyes," he said.

Adiemus took the spyglass from him and had a look. Then he lowered the spyglass, evidently in shock.

"Alya...I thought she was in on this."

Raven took the spyglass from him. There was silence for a few minutes, before he said, "I'm not believing my eyes."

"An independent guild after all, huh?" said the crusader. "Well, we can't blame her. She's got her own suspicions on the Raulus, anyway. And Alya has this uncanny ability to predict the future..."

"How far?"

"Within a year or so, I think."

Raven whistled. "Scary."

"Well, we can't say anything, can we?" Adiemus turned back to look at Bright Arbor. "But I can tell you this...S is not going to side Alya after this. Not for a long time."

* * *

Iruna heard the screams and shouts from outside the portal leading to the fourth floor.

"Hey," she said to the group behind her. "Get ready. I think the Guardians have made their way up."

"Oh, Lord," said someone.

Iruna frowned. "I'm going to go and see if they need help. If I come running back in here waving my blindfold in the air be prepared to face them."

"How many?"

"According to the boy who hopped in here some time ago, about a hundred."

The group looked at each other. Then someone said, "Well, Repherion or bust."

Iruna smiled. "You know, I was thinking the exact same thing..."

* * *

Valkron was surprised when the crusader hurtled into the battle and cast Grand Cross immediately. The effect was tremendous.

"Iruna? What are you doing here?" he said in surprise, as she rejoined them. "I thought you were with the emperium defence group."

"You guys need me more than they do, right now," she said, pulling on her blindfold and tying it up at the back of her head. "That's for certain."

Valkron looked worried and opened his mouth. "Iruna, look--"

"They'll be fine."

"No, I meant--"

"You need more help. Don't chase me off."

"I'm not chasing you off, I just wanted to say..."

Iruna faced him and pulled up a corner of her blindfold to look at him. "Yes?"

Valkron mouthed wordlessly for a few seconds, and then looked away. "Just...just don't get hurt."

She stared at him for a few minutes, and then her face broke into a smile. "I won't, Valkron. I promise."

Iruna turned to face the incoming crowd. Valkron did so as well.

"Ready?" she said.

"Hell yeah."

"Let's go."

Meeting the Guardians head on was no laughing business. Iruna charged right through, and they had to separate. It was either that or get a faceful of very thick, heavy crusader armour.

But Valkron did not share the same luck. About one third into the crowd someone drove a fist into his solar plexus. Valkron gasped, and lost his balance. The pain was incredible.

And then he remembered a soft white light suddenly emanating from the floor, gently pushing him up, lifting him back to his feet. It surrounded him, flooding him with warmth, relieving his pain and filling him with renewed vigour.

The first thing he said was, "What time is it?"

And someone replied, "Quarter to three. You've got enough time left to fight your way through Merseitzdeitz."

Valkron looked up into the grass green eyes of Samaroh.

* * *

He didn't particularly remember the fight through Merseitzdeitz, but they reached the emperium room in time and shattered the crystal five minutes before the horns sounded. That was it.

There had been no opposition from the Guardians once Samaroh had cast a massive mass heal. The Raulus rose to the attack and drove them out of Britoniah before returning to claim Merseitzdeitz. At the end of the war, when the clocks in all the cities struck the hour and the horns had sounded, Britoniah now had two castles with the same flags fluttering atop the battlements.

Then, very subtly, Samaroh had shooed everyone into the new dining hall, sat them down in organized groups ranging from 'slight' to 'serious' injuries and began to work. His deft fingers swiftly patched everyone up. Valkron, watching him in a daze, noticed how quickly and neatly he cleaned and dressed every wound he came across.

As Samaroh worked on his cheek, Valkron finally managed to say something. "Samaroh, how did you manage to get out of bed?"

"Well, be grateful to my trusty pack," he replied. "I was hoping you'd not refuse."

"You used your own medicines on yourself?"

"Why not? Best test subject in the world, don't you think?"

Valkron stayed quiet. Then he said, "And you...came all the way here straightaway?"

"Yep," said the priest. "Though I came a bit late, I can see."

Valkron smiled a little. "You came just on time."

"Whatever you say, Valkron. Whatever you say." Samaroh leaned back. "There. Done."

"You sure you okay?" asked Valkron.

The priest chuckled. "I should be the one asking you that. Yeah, I'm fine, save for a few bruises. But they'll go in time."

He got to his feet and slung his pack over his shoulder. "Well, I'll be going then. See you."

"Samaroh."

The priest half-turned. "Hm?"

Valkron looked at him. "Thanks."

Samaroh smiled and touched the brim of his cap, inclining his head slightly. "No need to thank me, Valkron. It's my job."

* * *

"Well, Alya, you've lost support from Apocalypse Ultima," said Adiemus. "Not bothered, I can see."

"Which is surprising, for someone like you," said Raven. "Always careful, always looking for the right place to step."

"Why did you do it?" asked Adiemus.

Alya sat where she was and did not move. She gazed at her clasped hands in her lap.

"I...don't have faith in the Raulus," she said, eventually. "All the guilds that have been so promising so far have all gone. I can't say the same for the Raulus, but I just know they'll end the same way, too."

"Wouldn't you be more concerned with what they can do _before_ they come to an end?" asked Raven. "Don't we all come to a timely end one day, Alya? We don't just sit around and mope about that. We get up and do something. And keep doing things."

"He's not very happy with you, Alya," said Adiemus quietly. "He says if you ever want help from him you're going to have to wait for a very long time."

"I'm sorry, but he knows I've been targeting Bright Arbor for such a long time," she said. "He shouldn't be surprised."

"He's surprised you actually turned on him," said Raven hotly. Adiemus placed a hand on his arm. The rogue gave him an incredulous look, but Adiemus shook his head.

"I don't think the Raulus will defeat the Black Cross," said Alya, still looking at her hands. "I doubt they'll ever win. Valkron may be strong-headed and determined, but he's a lot older than Vineis. He can't keep up all this fighting for long. Eventually he'll have to pass on ownership of the Raulus, and his successor may even abandon the guild. The Black Cross will always win."

"And what if they don't?" Raven said sharply. "What if the Raulus really wins?"

"Then I take it all back, and I'll give back Bright Arbor to Apocalypse Ultima. I'll disband the guild and the Seven Eyes won't exist anymore."

"That's a bit much for a girl like you," said Raven, after a few minutes.

"She takes this job seriously, Raven. Stop that." Adiemus looked back at her. "Looking to the future so depressingly isn't you, Alya. You've never been like this before. What's going on?"

The sage turned away from him. "Well...it's just...just..."

"Just what?"

There was silence. Then Alya burst into tears. "I-I'm s-sorry, father!" she sobbed. "I'm s-sorry! I n-never m-meant it to happen! I wanted to live up t-to you!"

The two men stared.

"What do you mean, Alya?" Adiemus asked his daughter quietly.

Alya made an effort to stop sobbing. "I wanted...to be so much like you. But I s-saw that I was going to fail. I didn't want to f-fail, I wanted to win. I asked Vineis for help, and he said he'd help."

"You _what?_" exclaimed Raven.

"Raven," warned Adiemus.

"He said he'd help, on one condition." Alya was close to breaking out into tears again; her shoulders were shaking and she had buried her face in her hands. "I'm s-sorry, f-father..."

"What was that condition?" asked Adiemus.

Alya lapsed into a quiet sobbing. Raven was looking in between the two of them, disbelief still etched on his face. Adiemus waited patiently, pulling on his usual pipe.

At length the sage looked up at her father, tears streaming down her face. "That I p-promised to m-marry him--"

"WHAT?" shouted Raven, so loudly that she flinched and cowered. "You let him manipulate you this way?"

"H-He was lonely!" protested Alya. "He l-loves me! And he really does, he's n-not the man you t-think him to be--"

"You let a piece of scum like him make you agree to that?" said Raven angrily, standing up and pushing his chair back roughly. "What the hell were you thinking--"

"Raven, sit down," said Adiemus, who had not moved.

"Don't ask me to sit down! Your daughter's just chosen to go along with an unsympathetic, cold-blooded freak--"

"He's not a freak!" shrieked Alya.

"Sit down, Raven. Alya, calm down."

"I'm not going to sit down till I hear her say she's going to change her mind--"

"I am not changing my mind! I love him, and I'm not letting him go--"

"FOR THE LAST TIME, SIT DOWN, RAVEN! YOU'RE NOT HER FATHER!"

The rogue sat down, mainly out of shock. Alya stopped crying.

Adiemus sat and looked at his daughter for a long time. Then he said, "I can't stop you, can I? And even though Vineis is indeed unsympathetic he's still human. I can't expect him not to love, although I don't know why he chose my daughter." The crusader took his pipe out of his mouth. "What did I tell you, Alya? When you asked about your mother?"

"Don't let love blind you," said the sage, in a small voice.

Adiemus looked sadly at his daughter. Then he closed his eyes. "I'm really disappointed with you, Alya."

The sage looked up. "Please, father, just give me another chance--"

"Alya, I'm giving you another chance. Go and be with Vineis. When everything's over tell me how it is, and then you'll understand. Just go. I'm not feeling well."

After the sage left Raven looked at the crusader. "You're just going to let her go like that, Adiemus? What kind of father are you?"

Adiemus opened his eyes and looked at the rogue. "Well, Raven, it's about time we had a look into the mind of the man we think we know so well, don't we?"

Defeated, Raven sighed. "What are we going to do now?"

"We'll wait." Adiemus closed his eyes again. "We'll wait for the Raulus to gain control of Britoniah. Then we're going to fight back."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I never figured Adiemus would play such a big role in the story, by the way.

PS: If you noticed, I called the leader of Apocalypse Ultima **S**. The other priest - Sedir - belongs to the Black Cross. The priest for Apocalypse Ultima is another, entirely different, man. You also won't believe how many people get this wrong.


	21. The Light in Darkness

Chapter 21

**The Light in Darkness**

After getting much clapping on the back and grateful handshakes from his guild members Samaroh finally managed to separate himself from his sister and retire for the night. Valkron grinned at this behaviour. There was more than met the eye with the priest, after all.

The news of the guild's success with Merseitzdeitz had spread even faster than it had with Repherion. The next day Valkron had to see to a crowd of approximately two hundred eager mercenaries. Eventually he ended up taking in only twenty, because he had reached the limit.

"Don't worry, come back here when we've got a lot more powerful," he called out to the departing remainder of the party.

"I'm getting somewhat worried," said Iruna, watching as their new members entered Repherion. "People are coming here to join our guild, but how many are doing it for the sake of sincerity?"

"If you haven't heard, Iruna, I kicked out four last night for abandoning us during the guild war," said the knight. "I know the twenty new recruits because we were hired together once, for some kind of military mission in Morroc. But everyone comes in as a probationary member; if they can't prove themselves after two WoE sessions, they're out. If they joined the Raulus for the sake of having a guild so's they can show off, they're out. I'm not having that kind of tripe in my guild."

After a few minutes Iruna said, "You've thought this out well."

"Not so well, yet," confessed Valkron. "I'm more concerned with who's coming into the council, apart from Aramithar, Kushana, Nalini and Kala."

"Those two are so inseparable you just had to include them in, did you?"

"They're skilled warriors, that's why. They proved themselves right in front of me, remember?"

"Oh, yeah."

There was a short silence. Then:

"What happened when you expelled them?"

"Oh, the usual. The pleading, the anger, the begging, yada yada yada...I didn't listen to them, though."

"That's not very nice."

"They left us at the mercy of the Guardians! Who's worse, me or them?"

"Fine, fine."

Valkron sat down. "Either way I still have nothing to do at the Chivalry. It's not that I want to go, but I have a job to do."

"And why don't you want to go, Valkron?" asked Iruna.

"Hm? Because I don't want to see people like Inigo or Kuroihi. I'm sure they're baring their teeth at me by now, but I don't give a damn." Valkron shook his head. "What would I give to have people behave like Enriel."

"If the world was the same it would be dull," said Iruna quietly.

The knight stared at her for a few minutes before sighing and turning away. "You're not exactly helping much, Iruna. See you later."

The crusader watched him go in surprise.

* * *

Valkron did return to the Chivalry later on, although he did almost nothing there. There was no work for him - only a few reports from the knights under him. He read them and then signed them off before pushing them aside.

After a while he realised he had been staring at the marble ceiling above him. He had all his armour off, wearing just his brown shirt and trousers. There was no need for them today.

But what was he to do? Valkron hated lazing around. It was a favourite pastime for most of the young knights - so well-loved that it would have been their job if there was such a position in the Chivalry. But he didn't like sitting around doing nothing. It brought back bad memories, for a start.

He looked around the room. No, there wasn't anything he had left unfinished. Valkron, by far, was a very organized man and liked to keep his office tidy. The only thing that wasn't tidy was his desk, but that wasn't surprising. In terms of Chivalry tidiness his was probably the cleanest.

The knight shook his head vigorously. He was getting old; such trivial things at this time were easily distracting him. He _had_ to look for something to do.

Valkron looked around the room again, and this time his eyes fell on a box on the shelf nearby. It wasn't very large - if he had sandwiched it between the books on the same shelf no one would have been able to tell the difference.

He got up from his seat and went over to it. He was wearing no gloves; as he picked up the box he could feel the coolness of its smooth leather covering. There was a small clasp on one side of the box.

Valkron stared at its unmarked surface for a very long time. Then, very quietly, he went back to his desk with it and opened it. Drawing out a piece of fresh parchment from it, he laid it down on the table and picked up his quill. As he dipped it into the inkwell on his desk and got rid of the excess ink, he stared at the parchment.

_Everything has an ending._

He settled down, his quill poised over the paper. Up till now he had never realised how hard it was to write a letter, especially because he didn't know the recipient too well.

However, he'd been putting the writing off for a very long time. For someone so organized, he had looked at it and thought, _Not today_, somewhat guiltily.

But it had to be done. Even though it hurt him.

Valkron sighed, and began to write.

* * *

Raven visited Scarlet Palace again that day. Adiemus had sent off most of his guild members so that they could take a break before returning for the next guild war, so the grounds were emptier than usual. He looked around its forlorn courtyard before continuing on. 

The crusader was in a small garden overlooking the lake. Raven found him sitting on one of the ironwrought benches, puffing on his pipe and looking out across the clear green waters.

"You know, smoking's bad for your health," said the rogue.

Adiemus looked at him. "I know. It's a vice I'm not proud of, but I can't stop straight away, can't I?"

"You could try."

The crusader only sighed. Raven shook his head and sat down next to him.

After a while, he said, "Did you get it?"

"Get what?" said the crusader.

"You know what it is."

"No, I don't."

"Don't muck about with me, Adiemus," said the rogue. "I know you did. Every guild did."

"Then the answer is already pretty obvious, isn't it?" retorted Adiemus.

There was a pause. Then Raven said, "Going?"

Adiemus did not answer for some time. When he did, his voice was quieter than before. "Yes."

"Really? Not fibbing me there, are you?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because I have to go." Adiemus blew a smoke ring and watched it expand and disappear. "It's my job. You wouldn't understand."

"I guessed you'd say that," said Raven, leaning back in his seat.

There was another pause, only broken by the sound of the birds singing in the forest across the lake. Then Adiemus said, "Are you going?"

"What? And see _his_ face?"

"Are you going?"

Raven kept quiet. After a few minutes he said, "Yeah."

"Thought you didn't want to see his face."

"What I want is none of your business."

The next pause was getting longer, and more awkward. Adiemus was clearly aware of that, when he asked, "Why are you going, then?"

"Because you are, and you should have someone to go along with you."

"Not for the sake of the event?"

"No." Raven turned away. "I'll never forgive him. I figured you wouldn't, either."

"I make no one my enemy, even for those who consider me as one of theirs." Adiemus pulled on his pipe. "He has done nothing wrong to me."

"He took your castle, and the only thing you had to remind you of your past life!"

"At least he didn't take my life."

"You wouldn't be here to say that if he did."

"All the better. I'd be resting elsewhere, and in a lot more peace than I would be down here."

The silence was thick.

"You didn't actually mean that, did you?"

"I did."

Raven looked at Adiemus. For the first time since he had seen the crusader he realised that the man looked tired and sad, and he understood just then that whatever he thought Adiemus was going through a lot more than he showed.

For some time they sat there, listening to nothing but the birds singing in the forest. Then Adiemus said, "Aren't you supposed to do be doing something, Raven? With your guild?"

Raven opened his mouth, and then caught the crusader's expression. He shut his mouth. Then he opened it again to say, "Yeah, sure. I'll get going, if you don't mind. See you."

When he got up Adiemus said nothing. He did not look around as Raven exited from the garden.

* * *

"I don't get you," said Valkron. 

Raven sighed. "You know, I really don't want to go into details."

They were sitting in the pavilion that separated two practice courts. As rookie knights trained on both sides, Valkron had simply occupied the table in the pavilion. There were people serving them tea; Raven had wondered exactly _how_ much authority and respect Valkron actually received.

"I know," said Valkron. "Adiemus tells me a lot of things."

"How long have you known him for?"

"Oh, years. We met at the Battle of Al'Zahur a long time back. After that we kept meeting each other, and saving each others' necks. He knows me, I know him." Valkron took a draught from his cup.

"But do you know why he's acting like this?" Raven hadn't touched his tea; he was far too worried.

"In my experience, Adiemus has always blamed himself for mistakes he made. I don't know why. He told me the biggest mistake of his life was marrying Alya's mother."

"Yeah, I know that," said Raven. "But right now he seems to be under a lot of pressure, and I don't think he'll tell me."

"If he won't tell you then he won't for me either." Valkron looked down at the table. "He considers you as much of a friend as he considers me."

"Really?"

"Yes."

Raven looked into his teacup. "Then if he's not telling me anything...?"

"Then there's nothing you can do about it except wait it out." Valkron picked up his teacup, but this time looked at Raven. "What's been happening?"

"Hm? Oh. You'll find out, soon enough."

"If you're not going to tell me you might as well drink your tea and relax." Valkron sat back in his chair, as two rookies struggled to gain the upper hand in their tussle. "Sometimes you think too much about others, Raven. We'll find out, eventually."

* * *

Vineis stood in the courtyard of Hohenschwangau, gazing at the sky. Most of the time he studied in his room, but today he was outside for a breath of fresh air. 

He was also outside for another reason.

"Vineis!"

The wizard looked away from the sky. He barely had time to spread his arms before someone ran into them.

"You're a bit upset, Alya," he said softly, looking into the face of the sage.

She sighed and buried her face into his shoulder. "I feel like I've done something terribly wrong."

"What is it?"

"I let down my father." Vineis felt her grip on his arms tighten. "I wish I didn't have to, but I don't want to leave you, Vineis."

"You did what you wanted for your life," said the wizard gently. "What did Adiemus say?"

"He didn't scold me." Alya looked up at Vineis. "But the way he spoke..."

"Did he shout?"

"No, it was more like this soft, sad voice." Alya laid her head back onto his shoulder. "I feel so guilty, I know I've let him down. My mother broke his heart once, and now I'm doing the same."

Vineis kept quiet, but he pulled Alya closer to him and stroked her hair. Then he said, "Adiemus didn't stop you, though. He knew you made up your mind. I wish I had a father like that."

Alya looked into his face, but the wizard was staring off into the air.

"So what are we going to do?"

"Do?" Vineis looked down at her. "Well, everything's ready. Are you?"

Alya smiled, despite herself. "Of course."

The wizard laughed. "When do you want it?"

"As soon as possible." Alya hugged him. "I don't want to think about anything else."

"All right, Alya," he said. "All right."

* * *

From somewhere in the shadows Sheuth watched the two unblinkingly. Beside him Lucius leaned against the wall, his eyes closed. 

"Not going to do anything about them?" said the assassin.

"No, why should I?" replied Sheuth, his golden brown eyes glinting in the darkness. "Vineis is happy. I want him to be that way."

"You cannot hide him from the truth forever, Sheuth," said Lucius.

"Indeed. But when the Black Cross has achieved what it has always wanted, I will tell him. You don't have to worry. I'm always standing with him."

Lucius looked sideways at Sheuth. He had done this many times before - standing in the darkness, spying on Vineis, along with Sheuth or other people the rogue assigned to do the job.

"I still do not think this right."

"What do you think is not right?" asked the rogue, looking at him.

"This." Lucius jerked a thumb at the scene before them. "Spying on Vineis. He deserves his privacy, and this is his life."

"I want to make sure he stays fine," said Sheuth, going back to watching. "That's all. He'll understand."

Lucius sighed. "I am going to look for Naobi. If you wish to stand here and watch, do so. Just do not expect me to return."

Sheuth did not reply. Lucius walked off into the shadows, as silent as only an assassin could be.

But he was thinking deeply. There was only one question he sought to find the answer to.

_What does Sheuth want from Vineis?_

* * *

That night the main body of the Raulus guild took the evening off and lounged around in the newly built dining hall. It was indeed vast, but it had to be. Repherion was what Adiemus called their 'flagship castle'. Whatever that had meant - because Adiemus forgot to explain - Valkron had already set Repherion as the castle where everyone would congregate for important meetings and the like. 

"So how's Merseitzdeitz?" Valkron asked Nocturne. The hunter had been assigned to collect reports from the second castle every alternative day.

"Interesting, and not bad," replied Nocturne. "The economy of the castle is doing well. They've got a merchant doing it."

"They've got a _what_?"

"Don't worry. He's one of those veteran merchants who don't ever want to become blacksmiths for the money, y'know?"

"Oh, that would be Albrecht," said Valkron. "Yes, he'd be the type to do that, wouldn't he?"

Iruna looked down the table at where Emeth was sitting. The wizard had not been talking much to anyone recently. The others had seen him working on devising papers, so no one had dared to bother him. Now the wizard was silently scribbling notes into tagged folders and referring to a large number of books.

"Valkron," she said, looking away from the wizard, "you did say our placement was coming today, did you?"

"Yes, why?"

"Why isn't she here?"

Valkron looked around. "Nocturne?"

"Don't ask me, I was on duty in Merseitzdeitz today."

The knight looked to his other side. "Kushana?"

"Saw no one fitting your description. A blue haird swordswoman with small angel wings behind her ears, right? No."

Valkron and Samaroh looked at each other. Emeth had looked up from his work. The entire table that the main body occupied was silent.

"Okay." The knight got to his feet. "I'm going to look for her."

"What do you mean?"

"She was supposed to have arrived here in the afternoon, with her teacher. I know for a fact she doesn't want to come here. I'm going."

"Hey, I'll come with you," said Nocturne. "I want something to do."

Valkron shrugged. "That's up to you."

Nocturne slung his quiver of arrows over his shoulder and picked up his hunter's bow as Valkron tightened his sword girdle.

"Are you sure about this?" asked Kushana, as they began to leave. "This is Britoniah we're talking about, you know. Who knows what you might encounter out there?"

"Who knows what _she_ might encounter out there?" said Valkron.

"How can you be so sure that she's here already?"

"Because when I was in Prontera today I saw her teacher taking her to Geffen." Valkron adjusted his visor. "I followed them there, and then I got called off on some business. By the time I returned they weren't there."

"But you can't be that sure," persisted the crusader, as Valkron headed for the dining hall door. "What other evidence, apart from you seeing them, is going to prove that she's actually in Geffen and not still in Izlude? For all you know, you could have seen someone else!"

There was a distant scream from outside. Considering the castle walls were thick to discourage wizards and alchemists from blasting the wall apart, this was a pretty impressive sound.

"Yep, she's around," said Valkron, not looking at Iruna.

* * *

Valkron had been right from the first guess. Niki-Haru had to go with her teacher to Geffen. Once they were there, her teacher had turned to her. 

"All right, we've got to ask directions to Britoniah, wherever that is." The teacher had looked around. "I wonder who shall we ask? The Magic Academy may be a good place to start."

"I can make my way there," Niku-Haru had said defiantly. "It's okay. Repherion won't be that difficult to find, if it's a guild castle."

Her teacher had given her a look. "Are you sure, Niki?"

"Positive." The girl had nodded very firmly.

"All right then. Tell Valkron I send my regards to him!"

In fact she had not wanted to go to Repherion at all. She wanted to head down to Comodo and enjoy the nightly fireworks. But when she went to the Kafra some time after she had waited for her teacher to go, she found out that the money she had was not enough.

So she had wandered around the city. People had been kind enough to give her food, but as it grew dark they began to return to their homes and she was left out on the deserted streets. Geffen was not a place where you wanted to stay after dark, being right next door to Glast Heim and the Orc Village everyone feared and gossiped about.

She tried to get a room for the night at the Gatekeepers' Inn, but the price there was beyond what she had. The innkeeper politely, but firmly, shooed her out as the clock in the tavern struck eleven, and she was left out on the streets.

Finally she knocked on the door of the Magic Academy, and was answered by a green-haired wizard whose face no one could see because of his floppy, pointed hat and his hair.

"Yes?" he asked "May I help you?"

"Where's Britoniah?" she asked.

"Hmm...southwest of Geffen. If you're planning to go there I advise you not to go alone. Britoniah is the only castle area with monsters."

By now Niki-Haru was wishing that she had not told her teacher to go. Repherion seemed more like her home now, even if she hated it. But she thanked the wizard anyway and set off to look for it.

She was _sure_ she had walked the right way. But eventually she found herself surrounded by trees, trees, and even mroe trees. Apart from the full moon lighting her way it was completely dark.

Niki-Haru was scared. When she was young her mother had told her stories about the moon and its mysterious, sinister power. _"Don't ever go out at night, and especially not on a full moon night."_

Now it was too late.

She wandered through the forest, desperately seeking the lights of the guild castles or even their great shadow. She had no way to go. She was lost.

Suddenly the bushes rustled. Niku-Haru jumped, and then quickly drew her sword. She watched the bushes warily.

After a few minutes a fabre squirmed out from the undergrowth and crawled off, leaving a weak trail of slime shining in the moonlight. Niki-Haru sighed, lowering her sword. It was just a stupid fabre--

And then a group of kobolds wielding axes had burst out of the bushes. Upon seeing her they charged at her, waving their axes.

* * *

Valkron mounted his peco, and Nocturne hopped on nimbly behind him. 

"Holding on tight, Nocturne?" he asked.

"You bet."

The knight dug his heels into his peco's side. The bird honked and jerked forward, causing Nocturne to hit the knight's back face first. He muttered a quick apology; Valkron waved it off.

They rode out of Britoniah at full speed, before they came to a stop.

"Nocturne, you've got better senses than me. Try and locate anything moving."

The hunter slipped off and knelt down on the ground. He put his ear to the soil.

After a few minutes he got to his feet. "There's what sounds like a mob of monsters to the east of Britoniah. I'll take a guess at kobolds, but I'm not too sure."

"You've got _good_ hearing," said Valkron, as Nocturne hopped back on.

"Yeah, well, I did live in the forest for a very long time."

Valkron spurred his peco forward. The bird, sensing the urgency in the air, thudded through the undergrowth in the direction his master had pointed out to him.

The branches and twigs whipped at them, but Valkron quite calmly slipped his visor over his eyes. Nocturne had bent over so that his face was not in the range of the trees. As the peco charged through the undergrowth he sank increasingly, until Valkron brought the peco to a stop so suddenly he jerked upright and nearly toppled backwards off the peco.

Niki-Haru was keeping her sword upright as she faced the group of advancing kobolds, but she was shaking. Valkron got off the peco and looked up.

"Damn moon," Nocturne heard him mutter.

He looked back at the hunter. "Nocturne, go and distract them. I'll get her, and then we can scoot without anyone getting hurt."

The hunter was wise enough not to protest. He quickly disappeared into the undergrowth. Valkron waited in the shadows, waiting for the opportune moment--

There was a blur of white. Something sped between the kobolds and Niki-Haru; the girl screamed and dropped her sword. The kobolds were momentarily distracted by the blur, but they quickly refocused on her and advanced, growling in anticipation of a meal.

That was when the trap exploded beneath their feet.

Valkron leapt through the smoke and dived for the girl. She was cowering by now, and when he touched her she shrieked a little.

"Put down you sword! You'll hurt someone with that!"

The swordswoman quickly sheathed her sword; it must have been automatic, because no brain could have reacted that quickly. Valkron swept her into his arms and ran back before the kobolds had time to recover.

"Nocturne!" he shouted.

The hunter appeared next to the peco, breathless. "Here!"

"Let's get back to Britoniah," said the knight. "Before they realise what's happened. Come on!"

Valkron lifted the girl and put her squarely on the back of his peco. He had swung his leg over the saddle and was adjusting himself when Nocturne said a bad word. The knight turned around in his seat.

The kobolds were yapping angrily. They had seen their prey disappear from their eyes, only to find it - and two more - behind them. Now they were growling, their red eyes glinting in the moonlight, at the three of them.

"_Nocturne!_"

The hunter leapt on and held tight. Niki-Haru was right in front of Valkron, but she was wise enough to bend her head so that he would not be hindered.

The peco charged forward, head down but beak purposefully held forward to crash through the trees. Valkron and Nocturne had to keep their heads below the peco's head level, but this was not easy.

"Are they following us!" Valkron shouted, as the peco thudded through a clearing.

Nocturne looked behind. "You bet!"

"Keep them off!"

Niki-Haru turned her head slightly to see the hunter shift in his seat so that he was facing the other way. He quickly fitted an arrow into his bow and aimed. This was not as easy as it sounds, because the peco was running so hard the three of them were being jolted every next second.

But he did not aim at them. He aimed into the air. Niki-Haru heard the chord ring out as he fired; it was followed by a whistling sound. Kobolds yelped in pain as a whole shower of arrows rained down on them. Nocturne did this twice more, before he drew two arrows from his quiver.

Two kobolds leapt out of the crowd, brandishing their axes at the peco. They misjudged their jump; they went too high, up to Nocturne's eye level. The hunter aimed his arrows at them. Niki-Haru was sure that they squeaked in terror before he fired; the arrows hit them in the eye.

But there were more, and they kept coming. Nocturne was firing only when he saw the need to. Once or twice she saw him concentrate his energy into the arrow he was about to fire; the kobolds that were hit flew into the air. But they didn't stop coming.

"Valkron! Get him to run faster!"

"I can't, you idiot! We're too heavy!"

The peco honked as if in agreement. Niki-Haru felt Valkron lean forward, and she heard him whisper to the bird, "Come on, Evlor, you can get us there. We're almost there."

The bird ran on, and so did the kobolds. Valkron could see the passage into Britoniah just ahead. He put one hand on the bird's neck, and Niki-Haru felt the peco speed up.

Nocturne shouted, "They're still following! I'm running out of arrows!"

"Forget it!" shoutd Valkron. "We're almost there!"

They thundered into Britoniah with about forty kobolds at their heels. The blue dogs yowled; they were far from home, but this was a meal that would last them days! They could not afford to lose so much food!

And then, as Valkron drew closer to Repherion, he saw a sparkling light ahead. It was like a beacon held high, cutting through the night like a beam of hope.

It was, in fact, Emeth.

Valkron knew what the wizard was going to do. Emeth's eyes were glowing - somehow the effects of being used as a tool by Argath had never worn off. He spurred his peco to go faster, but the bird honked desperately. It was getting tired.

"No, Evlor, come on," Niki-Haru heard him say. "You've got both of us out of worse situations. We're nearly there."

"They're coming closer!" shouted Nocturne.

The peco was tiring. Even Valkron could feel it. He did not attempt to spur the bird on any longer. They were barely a few metres away from Emeth now.

The light from the wizard's staff made the kobolds hesitate. That was when the peco charged through the gates of Repherion, thundering past Emeth. The kobolds barked angrily and charged forward, a little blue furry army, when the wizard aimed his staff at them.

There was an explosion. Valkron looked back just in time to see the earth in front of Emeth erupt into massive spikes, throwing up kobolds. Seconds later a large pillar of fire crashed down onto the kobolds. When the smoke and dust settled all that was left were a few kobolds running off into the forests.

Valkron nearly fell off his peco as he dismounted; Emeth caught him by the arm just in time. Nocturne slid off the peco's back and got Niki-Haru down.

"Thanks, Emeth," said the knight.

Emeth shrugged. In the moonlight he looked even more gaunt and haggard. "Iruna asked me to keep a lookout for you. I could hear the kobolds from a mile off."

"It's thanks to you both then. Now, could you take her," Valkron gently shooed Niki-Haru over to him, "to Hlin? I'm sure she could find a room for the little girl. Oh, and add her to the register."

"You want to sign her up for the guild?" asked Emeth, looking puzzled. Behind him Niki-haru had an expression of horror on her face.

"Yeah. Just do it, no complaints from her or you."

As Emeth took the enraged Niki-Haru into Repherion, Valkron turned to Nocturne. "You go on in, I'm going to lead Evlor to his stable before I turn in."

* * *

The next morning Valkron was abruptly woken by a banging on the door. Muttering a few bad words under his breath he got out of his bed and made his way to the door. After a few tries he finally managed to find the door handle. 

"What is it?" was the first thing he said when the door opened.

Hlin was taken aback. She had never seen her employer in such a state before. However, the Kafra Corp trained its employees to not to be surprised at any situation, so she barely showed her surprise.

"A letter, sir," she said, holding out an envelope. "It looks like an invitation."

Valkron took it from her, muttering, "I'll be damned if I get awoken just for a damned invitation. It had better be goo--"

His voice died away in his throat. He stared.

_To the leader of the Raulus guild,_

_You, and the guild members you choose to accompany you, are invited to witness the exchange of vows between Vineis and Alya in matrimony, scheduled to be held at Prontera Church on the Day of the Sun, at 9.00 in the morning._

_Yours sincerely,_

_The Black Cross._


	22. Different Angles

Chapter 22

**Different Angles**

Valkron had never been to a formal event before, save for knighting ceremonies in which either he was the one being knighted, or the one standing to the side as was required by his job. The only exception was the time he had gone to the castle to get the reward for obliterating the threat. Either way, however, he had been wearing his usual armour - as it was, Valkron was not the sort to wear "gold-plated tin pot metal", which was what he called ceremonial armour when he thought no one was listening.

Right now, however, he didn't have a choice.

"You seriously need to wear something," said Iruna, as they sat around the table in the kitchen. It would not be the kitchen soon - Hlin was moving everything to the dining hall, and making the old kitchen into a meeting room.

"Iruna, I've not worn anything other than my armour outside," explained Valkron. "That does not include the merchant's clothes that are hanging in my wardrobe right now, and you know it."

"I never said anything about that," said the crusader. Valkron suspected she was making fun of him, but he kept quiet about it.

"And who are you going to ask to accompany you?" asked Samaroh.

"You're asking me that because you know you're safe from it, aren't you?" said Valkron dryly.

"Yep. I'm busy that day."

"What, arranging the church?"

"No. Lessons."

"I thought you weren't--"

"_Acolyte_ lessons."

"Oh."

"I thought priests don't do work on the Day of the Sun?" said Iruna curiously. "_We_ don't."

"Usually we don't either, but since the church is quite busy over this we don't have a choice." Samaroh looked worried. "But...are you sure you want to go?"

"It'll be rude if I refuse," answered the knight. "Vineis is one thing, but a guild event is another. Besides, that's Adiemus' daughter's name. I bet he's going."

"I doubt it."

"What, not go to his daughter's wedding? That's a sacrilege for a father."

"Never heard you use the word before," said Samaroh, looking taken aback.

"Believe me, there's a lot of words you haven't heard me say," warned Valkron. "And you don't want to know what they are. No, I'm going. Even if it's for the sake of attending a guild event and being with Adiemus, I'm still going."

"So who are you going to take?" asked Iruna, stirring her cup of tea.

"Emeth, possibly. He looks like he needs a break. And...Aramithar."

"Why him?"

"Because he has enough gravitas, that's why!" said Valkron hotly. "If you pursue stupid questions like that one more time I'm going to make sure your--"

"Valkron, calm down," said Iruna quickly. "It's your decision to choose who's going, no questions about that."

"Please don't tell me this is about the clothes matter."

"It's about time you wore something else other than your usual armour!"

"I do wear other things beside armour, Iruna! I don't work all day long!"

"That's not true," said the crusader softly. "Even without the armour you're still a knight."

Valkron mouthed at her for a few minutes, and then managed with, "The clothes problem is not that serious."

"It is! What would people think if you walked into a wedding with your armour on? They'd most likely guess you're being paranoid! I'm telling you, armour is not the appropriate thing to wear for this occasion!"

"Can I...suggest something?" said Samaroh, who had been watching the debate. "And please don't tell me you're going to stuff your sword up my nostril, or in a place where the sun doesn't shine, or that you're going to see to me or my rear when I say what it is."

"Fine. What is it?" said Valkron gruffly.

"Well, there _is_...umm...sorry, there are clothes for the occasion." Samaroh was speaking very quickly, as if he did not want Valkron to actually hear what he was saying. "I doubt they cost much, and although some people may die upon seeing you wearing it I do believe you can pull off gravitas without looking like an idiot."

"If people are going to die when they see me in it, how the hell does it make me not look like an idiot?"

"People may die with _shock_, not with laughter."

Valkron stared at Samaroh for longer than was necessary. Finally he said, "I'll go and take a look. No more pressing this matter, _and that includes you, Iruna._ You being my...partner does not necessarily mean you have to persist in making sure I behave well."

"Sometimes you need it a lot more than you think," said Iruna darkly.

"Whatever. I'm going to prove to you I can take care of myself. If I'm not up to your standards then you have the right to tell me off. Agreed?"

"That's a good bargain." Iruna smiled mischievously; Samaroh edged away from her.

"Good. Now I'm going to get Emeth and Aramithar. I might as well tell them before they come back tonight so that they have time to prepare."

* * *

Valkron walked through Geffen. Although people were pointing at him, whispering behind their hands and getting out of his way fairly quickly he did not notice. 

_So Adiemus is upset about this_, he thought. _No wonder he's so depressive, and no wonder Raven's worried about him. I know Raven's going to go for his sake, because I am._

_But why? How did Alya agree to marrying Vineis? Did the wizard pressure her, or did she do it of her own free will? What the hell is going on?_

Valkron stopped in front of the Magic Academy. It should be lesson time now, but he could not wait. Besides, he did not want to risk Emeth's explosive behaviour. It was best to tell him now than later.

When he walked in there were a few magicians lounging around the foyer, but no one took notice of him. He approached a wizard with green hair. His fringe was so long it covered his eyes completely.

"Hello, Blizzardriss," he said.

The wizard looked up. "Oh, hey, Valkron. Didn't expect to see you here, and without your armour."

Valkron looked down at himself. It was true that he did not wear his armour all the time. Today, for the purpose of looking as un-knightly as he could, he was wearing merchant clothes.

"Well, I'm not at work, am I?" He looked up. "Is Emeth busy?"

"If I'm not wrong he should be at a lesson right now." Blizzardriss waved his hand; a list materialised out of the air. He took it and scanned it with the eyes no one could see. "Hmm...yes, there's a Theory of Magic lesson going on right now. He's so far the only wizrd qualified to teach it, although we're aiming to employ a few sages from Juno."

"It wouldn't hurt to wait for him here, I guess."

"No, but the lesson will go on for another hour and a half. You just came at the beginning of it. If you're really willing to wait for that long...?"

"Thanks, but no. I'll go and...head off to somewhere else." Valkron turned and was walking towards the door when Blizzardriss said, "Valkron?"

"Hm?"

"If you want, you can wait at the back of the class. We let visitors wait at the back until the teacher has set the students something to do, and then they can go and talk. If you just want to talk to him, you can do that. It saves a lot of time for both teacher and visitor."

Valkron considered this. Then he said, "Well, if that's the case then I'm willing to go on it."

* * *

Emeth's class was not very large. It was located to the side of the small courtyard that served as a meeting place as well as a practice field. There were two doors for the room - one at the front and one behind. 

"Just slip in and wait," said Blizzardriss, as they drew nearer to it.

"Won't he get distracted?"

"Senior wizards wouldn't be senior if they got so easily distracted. They'd more likely be dead."

The wizard opened the door, and Valkron quietly slipped in. As the door shut he looked around.

There was a constant buzz of talk. None of the students had noticed Valkron enter. The first thing he noticed was that the girls were listening intently, but the boys were talking quietly.

Valkron looked up at Emeth, and suddenly felt awed. Emeth as a teacher was fascinating. It was not the way he stood, or the way he taught. It was the way he spoke.

He had not noticed Valkron yet, because his back was turned and he was chalking something on the board.

"The importance of magic circles," he was saying, as he drew, "is to concentrate energy into the area. If heat can be lost to the surroundings, so can magic. Without a circle what may be potentially dangerous magic can be let loose into the surroundings, and it will break one of the rules of magic that have been set for years. Can someone please tell me what rule is that?"

A female magician put her hand up. Emeth turned. "Yes?"

"The rule that says we cannot harm innocent civilians with magic without a reason," she answered.

"Correct." Emeth cast his gaze over the class; Valkron saw his eyes look at him, and then pass over without a break. He was impressed.

"Of course, we don't find it necessary to draw circles anymore. In our incantations we already have key suffixes or prefixes that indicate a magic circle must immediately come into existence before the spell is cast, and it will only vanish after the spell has finished." Emeth wrote several runes on the board. "There are hundreds of runes out there that summon magic circles into existence; these are just a few examples.

"Now, I'm going to do a small, practical demonstration on how efficient these magic circles can be. Of course you can cast spells without them, but they make a big difference and we encourage all magicians to use them, like so..."

Emeth pointed at two boys who were busy joking with each other. A small magic circle materialised into existence.

A small fireball dropped onto them.

As the boys sat in their chairs, facing forwards and perfectly straight with terrified faces, Emeth said, "Pay attention, both of you. If I catch you talking one more time I'll do it again, and this time I won't miss."

Valkron had been somewhat shocked at this. But Emeth had timed the spell perfectly - so perfectly that there wasn't even any smoke. The fireball had simply dropped in front of them and disappeared, as if it had not been real fire at all.

"That is an example of how a magic circle can be used to aim properly," said the wizard to the class. "There is an important element in forming these, for different circles have different purposes. Not surprisingly, different runes will give these circles. Take out your textbooks and turn to page one eight two, please."

There was movement across the class as magicians bent down or opened their desks. Emeth himself took a book from the table and flipped the pages till he found what he was looking for.

"Read from that page until one ninety," he said, when they were ready. "Then do the exercise at the bottom of the page. I want it in by this lesson, so get cracking."

There was a rustle. Emeth walked out of the front door. Valkron was wondering what he was doing when a hand went through the back door and yanked the knight out of the room.

"I'm surprised you actually decided to visit me in my class," said the wizard, as Valkron dusted himself.

"Do you always do practicals like that in your lessons?" demanded the knight.

"I do it if someone's not paying attention," answered Emeth. "It works every time."

"I thought they were having exams?"

"This is a revision class," said Emeth, rolling his eyes. "On one of the easiest chapters in the subject."

Valkron pulled himself together. "Right. But you're pretty impressive for a teacher."

"What do you mean?"

"You talk like you know what you're doing, and you're not easily distracted. You're better than some of the Chivalry knights."

Emeth grinned, but the shadows under his eyes made him look terrifying. "So what are you here for?"

"I just want to say that you're coming with me to Prontera Church for the wedding."

"You've got to be joking."

"I'm not."

Emeth stared at him. Then he said, "That's it?"

"Well, no. You need something to wear, obviously."

"Which is?"

Valkron said it. Emeth blinked.

After a few minutes he said, "Okay. I hope I can find one, especially for someone my height."

"You do that," said Valkron. "And then get home and have a bloody break. You look like a damn ghost."

* * *

When Aramithar was told the same thing, he looked somewhat blank. 

"Why do I have to go?" he asked.

Valkron sighed. They were in Aramithar's workroom in the Institute of Alchemy. It was an amazing, wonderful, and strangely fascinating place with its machinery, but he got tetchy around potions that had no name and function whatsoever unless you tested them via accidentally sweeping them off the table with your elbow.

"Because you have to," he said. "I'm sorry, but that's the only answer I can give you, right now. And you have to wear--"

"You know, I think I already know what you're going to say," said the alchemist. "Okay then. I'll come along."

Valkron blinked. He was used to his guild members protesting, but this...?

"Why so willing?"

"Because you are my guild leader," the alchemist said simply. "And I should follow your orders."

"Hang on, you can't--"

"I know, I know, I have my own judgement on what is right and what is wrong. But," Aramithar put the alembic he was holding down on the table and faced Valkron, "as long as I don't follow your orders blindly, I will follow them."

"You seem somewhat dedicated to this guild business," said Valkron, still unnerved.

"Yeah, I know." Aramithar picked up his alembic and swirled it, the blue liquid inside flowing around. "That's because I used to be dedicated to my old guild, but they chucked me out for no reason. I've decided I'm never going to be dedicated to them again."

"What guild did you belong to?"

The alchemist looked at him over the top of his half-moon glasses. "You don't want to know."

"I do."

"If you do, then wait till the wedding is over." Aramithar went back to his alembic. "It'll be a better time. Now is not the time."

* * *

When Valkron returned late that night he made his way straight to the meeting room. The guild council was in there, and talking amongst themselves quite loudly, but when Valkron entered a hush fell immediately in the room. 

He looked around. "What?"

"Got it?" asked Iruna, with too much of what he felt was an accusatory tone.

"Yes, I did." He coughed a bit. "I'm going to feel a right berk when I put it on..."

"You are not going to," said the crusader. "I'll make sure of that."

"No! No. Thanks, but no." Valkron shook his head. "By the way, Iruna, how is Niki-Haru?"

"She'd like you to call her Niki, most of the time," said Iruna. "And you were right. She really does look like me."

"I did say she reminded me of you."

"Well, she's not really taken with the castle. Hlin tells me she's been complaining about the draughts that go through the castle all the time."

"I'm sure we can find her a room that's not on the ground floor...what about Hlin? She hasn't said anything about a draughty room."

"She's stuffed the gap under her door with thick, old rags," said the crusader, smiling fondly. "Clever of her. She's doing the same with Niki's room tonight."

"So she's fine? Apart from not liking the castle?"

"Yes. Oh, and she doesn't like this guild, either."

Valkron shrugged. "Give or take, either way. Any other news?"

"Haven't heard of any since this morning. By the way, Valkron," Iruna paused as if considering what she was about to say, and then plunging onwards, "are you going for the guild war before the wedding?"

Drat. He'd forgotten about the guild war.

"Will any of them be going?" he asked.

"I have no idea."

"From what I've heard," said Emeth, who was half-hidden by a pile of papers, "is that no one's trying for Britoniah. We've proved to be too scary. Driving out the Guardians of Geffen did the job, I think."

"I don't wonder," said Valkron, looking at Samaroh. He was sure the priest was deliberately ignoring him.

"Oh, and we've got about forty people on the waiting list."

"Forty people..._what_ list?"

"Waiting list. People who want to be recruited. I didn't know them, so I put them on a waiting list for you to have a look at." Emeth flourished his quill somewhat carelessly; Nocturne jumped out of his seat as drops of ink landed on his arm. "Now everyone's flooding _me_, and it's hard to please people."

"It's a good idea, though," said Khan, looking up from where he was seated. He was with Amaru, as usual.

"Good idea? Hah." Emeth picked up the piece of paper he had been writing on and put it on top of the pile. "They all just want a piece of the glory."

As Nocturne moved to the other side of the table, wiping his arm, Valkron sighed. "I guess our popularity keeps shooting up, doesn't it? Eventually we'll have to reach a certain limit."

"I'm picking one hundred fifty to be a safe limit," said Emeth.

"_What?_"

"It _is_ safe, since we can't have so many extensions like the Black Cross does," explained Khan.

"Ah."

"Oh, Valkron," said Iruna suddenly, "I remember something. Raven came looking for you."

"Why?"

"He said he wanted to talk to you in private, but when I told him you might be back late he just said, 'Never mind then, I can talk to him after the wedding.' He wouldn't tell me what it was." Iruna huffed. "Men."

"What did I tell you, Iruna?" said Eni, looking up from her potion manual.

"Whatever you told me does not apply here, Eni."

Valkron stared unseeingly at the wall opposite as the two women began to argue. Raven was worried, that was for certain. He had a bad feeling about the marriage. Not just about Alya and Adiemus, but about Vineis and Sheuth as well.

Especially Sheuth.

"Yoo-hoo."

Valkron jumped as a hand passed in front of his eyes. "Wh-What?"

"You okay, mate?" said Samaroh. Behind him Kushana was trying to stop the argument, with Kala helping from time to time.

"Yeah, I'm fine." The knight sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "I think I'm going to bed. Good night, all of you."

He left promptly, so he did not see the faces of the rest of the guild as he went.

After a very long silence Nocturne said, "Did he--"

"He did," said Samaroh, still staring after the knight.

"I mean, he actually--"

"I'm amazed, too," said Iruna, blinking.

"Was that really him?"

Everyone looked at each other.

"Hang on, hang on," interrupted Nalini, getting to her feet. "What's the hubbub over this? I don't get it."

They looked at her as if she was mad. Then Nocturne said, "He just said good night."

"So?" The sage looked around at them. "What's wrong with it?"

"He's _never_ said good night before."

* * *

It took some time to have a look at whatever it was that was supposed to be for every formal occasion in the kingdom apart from the ceremonies he was used to, but when he did - partially by telling himself he wasn't going to look like an idiot - he blinked several times. 

He had a look. With his white hair, he appeared to be...well...somewhat older than he was.

That was his opinion, anyway.

"I'm really going to die, am I?" he said.


	23. The Darkened Wedding

Chapter 23

**The Darkened Wedding**

When Saturday arrived Valkron had sentries all around the foremost areas of Britoniah and atop the battlements of Repherion and Merseitzdeitz. But no one came to attack them, and by half past three Valkron was waving people out of the gates and watching them go.

"Looks like no one's fighting at all," said Khan, coming up to him. "Don't you think the atmosphere's a little too thick with tension?"

"Over the wedding?" said Valkron. When the assassin nodded he sighed. "I'm tense over it too. I keep getting distracted by tring to figure out what the hell is going on between Alya and Vineis, Alya and Adiemus, and Raven himself. This can't get any worse, can it?"

"Believe me, I wouldn't say that if I were you," warned Khan.

"Hmph," said Amaru, who was next to him.

The knight shook his head. "There was no point for this war. No one seems inclined to fight. I bet no one's fighting in the other areas as well."

"Yeah, I think that's the case too," agreed Khan. 

They watched as people streamed past them to go home. After a while Valkron said, "So what are we going to do for the rest of the day? It's getting amazingly boring, this guild life."

"I don't think I can answer that, Valkron," said Khan carefully.

Amaru took out the cigarette he was smoking from his mouth and looked at it. There was barely enough left for him to pull on.

"I doubt this is the only part of the War of Emperium," he said quietly, looking at it.

Valkron and Khan looked at the blacksmith, but Amaru simply dropped his cigarette on the ground and stubbed it out with the heel of his leather shoe. His deep blue eyes seemed to hint at something he knew, but wasn't going to tell.

Valkron sighed. "And now I have to go and get ready for a wedding. I've never imagined myself wearing anything other than merchant, swordsman or knight clothes."

"Believe me, Valkron," said Khan, lifting the rim of his sakkhat and giving the knight a look, "there's a lot more worse clothes you wouldn't want to be seen dead in."

* * *

Much later on Valkron admitted that Khan was right, after all. 

"Well, we appear to look like right berks, but I think one day we're going to look like this anyway," said Emeth, looking at himself critically in the mirror. 

Valkron sighed as he adjusted his collar. "Emeth, stop making it worse."

"I'm not making it worse, I'm just saying--"

"Just stop talking."

Aramithar, on the other hand, didn't have any reaction to it.

"The Institute of Alchemistry has held a lot of events," he said, as he smoothed the creases out of his jacket. "More or less I've had this hanging in my closet for a long time. I'm used to wearing things like this."

"You're lucky, then," said Emeth. "Valkron, why do _I_ need to go? I'm sure you don't need a six foot ghost tagging along!"

"That's exactly why you're going!" snapped the knight. "You look like a six foot ghost! Take some time off, will you? Life ain't all work!"

"Hah, so says the man who lived for thirty years fighting!" snapped back Emeth.

"I fought to live, damn you!"

"Now, now," said Aramithar. "It's not good to argue before a wedding. You may give it bad luck, even if it isn't yours."

They stared at him.

"Really?" said Emeth.

"Yes." The alchemist smiled sunnily at them.

Valkron put his hand to his head.

Iruna had insisted on coming in to have a look, so Emeth and Aramithar quickly got out before anything happened. Valkron was left alone, sitting on a chair in the darkened room. He had purposefully drawn the curtains across the window for the sake of not looking at himself.

When Iruna came in she shook her head. "Why is it so dark, you great coward? Afraid of looking at your reflection in the mirror? Come on, you're the man who fought Baphomet alone and took on Repherion with nine other guild members! You can't be afraid of looking all dressed up!"

Valkron sighed, but he said nothing. The crusader, who was wearing a simple brown dress today, went over to the window and pulled open the curtains, flooding the room with light.

"There, now the place looks brighter and happier," she said. She turned to him. "Stand up."

"What?"

"Stand up. Come on."

With some more coaxing she got Valkron to get off the chair. She smoothed out some creases and then stood back to look him up and down.

"I look terrible, don't I?" he said desperately.

Iruna laughed. "You? No! If you could dress like this every day I'd pay you ten thousand zeny!"

"What do you mean?"

Iruna reached out and pulled up his collar. "There. You look ten years younger, and ten times more dashing. Haven't you ever wondered how a tuxedo can change your looks?"

If it had been possible, Valkron would have died. Since it wasn't, he looked like he was about to run.

The crusader looked amused at his expression. "Valkron," she said softly, "sometimes we've got to be someone different. You can't be known as Valkron the knight forever. It's good to let people know that you're human, with a human heart and a human mind. I'm not lying to you. You look fine, you look like you're ready to pull in the girls - well, maybe not - and you're have this...this _aura_ to you. You always have it, whether you're in armour or in merchant clothes or in a tuxedo. That's the one thing about you that will never change, Valkron. You've earned the aura, now go out there and earn the respect."

* * *

Iruna's words were still in his mind when he got up the next day. He sat up in bed, the first rays of the sun shining through his window, and mulled over them. She was right. He couldn't stay the same person all the time. People feared and respected him because he was a knight, but that was just about it. They didn't respect him because he was just a human.

He got out of bed and took a shower. When he had dried his hair he took out the tuxedo and sighed.

"Time to be human," he said to himself.

The three of them met in the large hall, outside the meeting room. Aramithar, as usual, looked perfectly at ease with himself. Emeth was slightly dishevelled, but Valkron observed that somehow he looked even better that way. 

"Are we ready?" he said.

Aramithar looked at the wizard, who shrugged and put his hands into his pockets. "When you are," he said.

"Right." Valkron turned around to Samaroh, who was blinking at them in surprise. "Could you warp us there? And don't you dare say anything."

"I'm not going to," said the priest. "I've seen this one scene too many times in my life. Sure, I can give you a warp. I'm going there anyway."

In no time at all they were standing outside the Church. The bells were ringing, but to Valkron the sound was heavy and leaden. To him it was more like the bells signifying a funeral.

The other thing was that the people in the streets had cleared fairly quickly. There were only four men and one nervous-looking Prontera guard.

"Excuse me," said the guard to them, "what's going on? I heard there was a marriage, but..."

"It's a wedding in the Black Cross," said the knight, looking at him.

"Oh, is it? Thank you. Um...I must be getting on, then--"

"If you think you're going to run from your position I'm not going to let you," said Valkron firmly. The Prontera guard paled, but did not move from his position after that.

"See you then," said Samaroh. "Gotta go, I'll be late."

They watched him enter the Church through a side door, and then looked at each other. 

"Give or take, eh?" said Emeth.

The three men walked up the steps to the great doors of the Church and entered the cool darkness. Behind them the dismal sound of the church bells grew muffled as they headed further into the house of the Lord, but the sound never stopped ringing in Valkron's ears for a long time.

As they walked Valkron came to realise that the people sitting in the pews were all guild leaders - and not very many at that. They were sitting separately, small islands in the benches, and not looking at each other. The three of them simply walked on.

Later on Emeth had said, "When you go to a church, you find peace there. It's always a hush. But that day it wasn't a hush - it was more of a silence kept for the dead."

The knight spotted a familiar head in one of the pews. He made his way there and sat down next to the man. Aramithar and Emeth followed suit, saying nothing, looking at no one.

Valkron looked at Adiemus. On his other side, his face like stone and looking straight ahead, was Raven.

There was no need for words. In a church that was as dark as night, with bells tolling out a forlorn melody and with an audience that was completely silent, the three friends were like lamps to light the way. This was not very obvious, but slowly the people around them relaxed and looked wonderingly at the three guild leaders. All of them were wearing similar clothes, all of them had solemn expressions, and all of them were there for each other.

The bells stopped. There was now complete silence. A priest Valkron did not know stepped out and opened his book, facing the silent watchers. After a while there was a sound from the back. Valkron did not bother to look; he already knew who it was.

After a few minutes Vineis passed them. He looked strangely dapper and neat in his tuxedo. When he turned to face the pews Valkron was momentarily surprised to see that he was not wearing his eyeglass. He seemed much older and more solemn without it.

Behind him came Sheuth, as expressionless as ever. Unlike Vineis the rogue seemed completely out of place with a tuxedo on. They stood with the priest on the podium, facing the pews and completely expressionless, although Valkron knew Vineis was nervous. Who wouldn't be?

After the two of them came a young boy, holding a white cushion upon which two rings sparkled and shimmered in the church like fireflies on a dark night. He quickly made his way to the podium and stood respectfully to the side.

And then came Alya behind two flower girls, so beautiful that later on Valkron swore he completely stopped breathing as she went past. She was dressed in a frilled gown with puffed sleeves, and wore satin elbow-length gloves. Her face was partially hidden behind a delicate veil. Two bridesmaids followed behind her, making sure they did not step on her dress and looking straight ahead. 

Valkron felt that something was wrong. There was nothing wrong with Vineis or Alya. The _whole_ ceremony felt wrong. Alya was supposed to brighten up the place - and literally as well, because she was dressed in a pure white gown. But the atmosphere grew heavier. It was not because of Adiemus - Valkron knew he was not the kind of person to hold grudges against whatever happened to him. It was not because of Raven, even if he was there only to accompany Adiemus.

But what was it?

All through the ceremony Valkron pondered over this in silence. He did not listen to the priest. His eyes scanned the silent church for the source of the cloud that had settled.

Vineis' voice cut through his thoughts. "I do."

"Alya of the Seven Eyes," said the priest, looking at the sage, "do you accept Vineis of the Black Cross to be your lawfully wedded husband, and be with him for life?"

"I do," said Alya, smiling at Vineis.

"Then be husband and wife, and may you be together till death do you part."

The boy serving as the ring bearer came forward, and offered the cushion upon which the two rings rested. Vineis took hold of Alya's left hand and slid the ring on. It fitted perfectly.

Alya grasped Vineis' hand, and slid the other ring onto his slender finger. They maintained their serious gaze at each other, even after the ring bearer had disappeared. The priest shut his book with a soft thud.

"You may kiss the bride," he announced to the silent church.

No one cheered. No one clapped. Valkron felt a pang of sympathy for the two of them as they left the podium, smiling at each other. Deep inside his mind, a voice said, quietly and sadly, _No one cares._

The watchers rose and left the church one by one. Sheuth left through another door. No one spoke, and no one looked at each other. They simply strode past, leaving Valkron, Emeth, Aramithar, Adiemus and Raven alone in the church. Valkron simply waited.

After a while, Adiemus got to his feet. Raven followed suit, and so did Valkron. They left the church with Emeth and Aramithar behind them, but the memory of a funeral-like wedding stayed with them for as long as they lived.

* * *

Later on Raven and Adiemus came to Repherion, somewhat unexpectedly. Valkron was caught unawares by this surprise visit, but he welcomed them warmly all the same and invited them into the guild meeting room.

"Wow, you actually have a meeting room," said Raven, looking around it. "Quite homely, I see."

"This used to be a kitchen," confessed the knight. "We just moved it, and no one quite liked the thought of breaking down the walls. So Hlin made into a meeting room."

"Hlin?"

"Our Kafra employee."

As the two of them sat down Iruna entered the room. Much to Valkron's surprise she went over to Adiemus and placed a hand on his shoulder, whispering something that sounded like a prayer. The crusader looked up at her in surprise, but she continued to whisper.

"Is he...all right?" Valkron asked Raven, dropping his voice until it was a barely a whisper.

"He's fine," Raven whispered back, "but I think it's best not to talk to him about the subject until he's got over it."

"Maybe he shouldn't have gone to the wedding."

"He says as Alya's father he had to."

"What abot Vineis? I didn't see his family there."

"Vineis...doesn't have any family. Or none that we know of, at any rate." Raven looked agonised. "Look, we shouldn't be discussing this."

"Yeah, you're right," said Valkron, nodding. "But what else is there to talk about?"

"Why do you ask me?"

Valkron gave Raven a look. Then he said, a little louder, "How's the Brotherhood these days? Thanks for helping us lower the crime rate, by the way."

"No need to mention it," said the rogue. "If any matters related to the Brotherhood crop up just drop us a note or see me. I'll find it out for you willingly. The place is much quieter now. Still some gambling involved, though."

"Anything similar to a pub brawl?" asked Valkron, grinning.

"No, thank our souls."

"Still live in that damp cave?"

"Valkron, that's a _cellar_," said Raven hotly. "And it's my office! What's wrong with having a cellar as an office! I don't live in there either!"

"I was just joking around with you, Raven. No need to get so worked up with it." Valkron gave him a warning look for three seconds and then reverted back to Hospitable Guild Leader. "I know it's your office, all right?"

"Well, it's still fine," said Raven, somewhat coldly, because no one can lose so much anger in one go. "Although we're having a rat problem down in the sewers. It's getting colder, and the sewers are much hotter than the ground above. They're coming in droves, I tell you."

"Yeah, autumn is coming," agreed Valkron. "I can't believe so much time has passed since everything came back to normal--"

"I can't believe so much has happened to us in such a short time."

The two of them turned to look at Adiemus, who was staring at the table.

"In three months I have been resurrected, lost a guild castle, had matters to deal with, guild soirees to go to or turn down, work to do...and now I am alone." The crusader's voice was sad and soft.

"You're not alone, mate," said Raven. "Who said so? You've still got us."

Adiemus shook his head, closing his eyes. "I knew I wouldn't be able to keep her for long, but why him? Why Vineis?"

"You know, Adiemus, now that you bring it up I don't think it's Vineis," said Valkron, ignoring the kick Raven gave him under the table. "I mean, I can see Vineis loves her, and vice versa, but I feel that there's some kind of danger marrying him. It's not because of him, though. That's what I think."

The crusader sighed. "What do you know about him, Valkron?"

"That he's not who we think he is," said the knight. "That's all. We can't tell, because we wouldn't go near the Black Cross with a fifty foot spear, but we can make a guess. And that's what I'm guessing, and that's the guess I'm standing with."

Raven snorted. "Either way that damned wizard had something to do with it. And the rogue that follows him around gives me the creeps."

"Doesn't he belong to the Brotherhood?" asked Valkron curiously.

"Yeah, he does. But sometimes I've passed him in the sewers. His mere presence makes my flesh crawl." The rogue shuddered. "I'm not too sure about Vineis, but I can say the same for that priest in black robes."

"Sedir?"

"How'd you know his name?"

"Because I knew it," said Samaroh, entering the room. "Hello, Valkron. Sorry for the interruption, but I'm just here to get my books."

"You knew him?" asked Raven, as the priest gathered up the books.

"No, I just knew his name.I knew the rest from gossip." Samaroh heaved the books into his arms. "All I can say is: keep away from him. That's it."

As Samaroh left Valkron said, "Who was the man standing in the shadows in the church?"

Raven looked at him in surprise. "There was one?"

"Lucius," said Adiemus. "An assassin, and a high ranking warrior in the Black Cross. I think Vineis brought him along just in case anyone objected."

"Including you?"

"I would have never objected," said the crusader softly. "Alya's life is not mine to change. She is old enough to make her own decisions and judgements."

"He's got a point," admitted Raven. "But that was strange. I didn't see him."

"That was because you were too busy staring ahead and ignoring everyone else," retorted the knight. "If Lucius is a high ranking warrior, that means he's in charge of a castle. Am I right?"

"Yes, I do believe he's in charge of the castle Skoegul, in the Valkyrie Realms. Prontera," added the crusader, seeing Valkron open his mouth. "How did you know that?"

"Because some chap called Naobi from the Black Cross beat up our resident priest," replied the knight sourly. "I went and did a little research on him. He's in charge of Hohensha-- Hohensa-- you know, that castle in Luina..."

"Hohenschwangau," said Raven dully.

"Yeah, that...that castle. He's also a high ranking warrior in the Black Cross."

"There are several people you have to look out for these days," warned Adiemus. "The Black Cross has several good warriors. Naobi's one of them, and Lucius as well. David and Reita have disappeared from the fighting scene, preferring to do some guarding instead, but if Vineis calls them back into service they'll jump in without hesitation. Kuroihi's sore with you--"

"I doubt Kuroihi would want to mess with me again," said Valkron.

"--and Corporal Inigo wants to constantly attack Sagna and you. And then there's Sedir, and Oripheus, Zweihaender and Arlena."

"Who are the last three?" asked Valkron.

"We don't know, so far. But people who know them have never spoken about them once they have met the three in a guild war. I don't want to know what those three do."

"Wait, who are they again? Oripheus...?"

"Oripheus, Arlena and Zweihaender. Sure you can remember the names? You're a bit on the old side, don't forget that."

"I'll be damned if I forget things at this age," said Valkron. "If you can remember them without ever meeting them, so can I. Incidentally, how did you know all this?"

"Spies, Valkron," said Adiemus, grinning a little. "Spy on everyone you can afford to spy on. Never fails."

"Ah."

"We should get going, it's late," said Raven. "Adiemus, come on. You need sleep."

Valkron watched them walk out of the room.

"Valkron?"

The knight turned to look at Iruna.

"Emeth wants me to give you this," she said, holding out a folded piece of paper. "Just a small note. I don't know what it says."

"Why did you whisper a prayer to Adiemus?" asked Valkron, as he took the paper from her.

"Because he needed it. He was deeply upset, but he didn't want to show it. I always help a fellow crusader."

"And it actually works?" Valkron looked at the paper.

_Valkron,_

_I won't be in for the fortnight ahead. Exams have started, I have to go and invigilate as well as mark papers. Since I won't have the time to pop in back to Repherion to sleep I'll be lodging temporarily in the Magic Academy._

_Emeth._

_PS: Don't you dare tell anyone when I'm not there._

"It does," said Iruna. "For us."

"Hm." Valkron folded up the note. "Well, I think it's time we left our brains to sleep, Iruna. I'll have a go at thinking this tomorrow."

"Okay then. Good night, Valkron." Iruna put her arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek. Valkron kissed her back, smiling as he did.

"Good night, Iruna. I love you."

_He's changed_, she thought, as he left. _He's really changed._

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Interesting note: Go to YouTube and type 'Adiemus' in the search box. Click on the first vid titled 'Adiemus - Adiemus'.

Enjoy. That was the song that inspired Adiemus' name and personality. Oh, and it's very good if you want to relax. I've been singing this for choir. 

BEFORE you watch, the song title is Latin (roughly translated, 'We will draw near), but the words are made up. They're not Gaelic, not Celtic and certainly not Irish or Welsh. They're just to express the beauty of the song.


	24. When A Knight Becomes A Rogue

Chapter 24

**When A Knight Becomes A Rogue**

Valkron watched the fire blaze in the hearth in the meeting room.

Iruna watched him.

"What?" he eventually said, not looking at her.

"You seem very...depressed," she said. "Is it because of the wedding yesterday?"

"How would you know?"

There was a pause. Then Iruna said, "Eni spends a lot of time with her friends, and whatever goes on around any of the cities her friends know what's going on. More or less she does tell me what the word on the street is."

"What does this have to do with the wedding?"

"They said it was so dismal that the sun did not shine that day," said the crusader. She was cleaning her sword. "And it was more like a funeral than anything else."

Valkron sighed. Iruna waited for him to speak, but he did not. So she continued.

"You've been affected by it, somehow," she said. "I can tell. The way your eyes glaze over and actually become glassy. Maybe you should go out and do something."

"Like?"

"Like taking a walk, for instance."

"Where?" asked Valkron desperately.

As Iruna opened her mouth to answer him the door opened. It was early morning, so the two of them were surprised to see Niki-Haru walk into the room. She stopped dead at the sight of them.

"Hello, Niki," said Iruna gently. "Having a good time?"

The little girl nodded, and then scowled at Valkron, who appeared not to see anything. The crusader smiled.

"Do you want anything?" she asked.

"No, I'm just looking around," replied Niki-Haru.

"Starting to like this place?"

"Sort of."

The door opened again, and this time Khan strode in sans sakkhat and mask. "Why's everyone looking so dead today? I thought you'd be a lot happier since the wedding's over."

Valkron shook his head, but said nothing else. He was still gazing into the fire.

"Oh, well, guess I can't do anything about-- whoops, didn't see you there." Khan had almost walked into Niki-Haru. He bowed to the startled swordswoman and gave her a brief smile. "Good morning, Niki-Haru."

"Just call me Niki," said the girl, still looking startled.

"If you wish." Khan straightened up. "Is everybody still asleep?"

"That's what we're guessing at," said Iruna. "Except Samaroh. He's already gone to the Church for his practice. What about you, Khan? You're up early, but you're not going anywhere, by the looks at the way you're dressed."

The assassin sat down next to her. "I've been taken off the hiring list," he said, somewhat disappointedly. "The Assassins' Guild thinks that I'm busy with the guild wars now. If they knew we hardly did anything the last time..."

"They probably wouldn't change their mind," said Iruna.

"Yes, most likely."

There was a silence, in which Niki-Haru wandered around the room and looked at everything. Then Khan said, "Valkron, would you like to take a walk? Or at least just get out of here?"

"If you can suggest to me where I'd be grateful," replied the knight dully.

"Morroc."

At this Valkron looked at Khan. The assassin blinked back.

Then the knight said, "Okay."

"All right then, I'll go and get my sakkhat. I advise you to wear something that covers your skin but won't retain heat. The sun in Morroc is awful these days."

"It's called late autumn, Khan."

When they had gone to get changed Niki-Haru wandered up to Iruna. "Is he always like that?"

"Who? And like what?" said Iruna, somewhat puzzled by this sudden question.

"Valkron."

The crusader looked at her with an amused expression on her face. "Well...for a man who's lived alone for a long time, yes. I don't really expect him to change that fast, since he's just getting used to staying with people, but he's becoming less sarcastic these days and more truthful."

"But I don't like it when he goes all sarcastic on people," protested the girl. "It hurts their pride!"

"Which is exactly what he wants," said the crusader. "Valkron is only sarcastic to the people he thinks need the truth right up to their faces. It hurts their pride, but they heal fast and they learn. That's all he wants them to do."

"Learn what?"

"Learn their mistakes."

"But he does it like he doesn't care for others' feelings," persisted Niki-Haru.

"Yes, sometimes he does," said Iruna. "But then again, Niki, as I said, he's lived alone for a long time. He's not used to people around him, and although he knows what they usually think he doesn't know how they feel."

"What exactly _is_ a long time?" asked the girl.

Iruna sighed. "Thirty years, to be exact."

* * *

Khan and Valkron arrived in Morroc an hour later, via Hlin's warp service. Immediately the hot sun had blasted them with strong heat, and Valkron was forced to wear a headband.

"You know, you don't look half bad as a merchant," said Khan, looking at him.

"Shut up."

They had teleported right next to the great arch that held the massive gates of Morroc. Khan and Valkron, not too inclined to wander into the sun just yet, lingered around in the shade of the gates, watching as a long procession of pecos carrying all sorts of goods passed them.

"Most people think that the southern cities are occupied by barbarious people," said Valkron, "or that they are less well-mannered. I don't think this is true."

"In times of trouble most people tend to scorn the South," said Khan. "The Northerners always make themselves seem so advanced and so polished, but I've met plenty who become so posh that they become snobbish as well. So I'm not surprised at all this regional discrimination, really."

"For a Southerner you're pretty well-mannered," said Valkron, looking at him.

"Oh, yeah, that's what everyone tells me." Khan rolled his eyes. "It never depends on where you live or were brought up, that's what I say in response."

"What about Amaru?"

"Amaru lived with my family for a very long time, so he's pretty much the same. Although most people can't tell, because he doesn't talk much."

"Remind me to ask him why that is so."

"I advise you _not_ to ask him," warned Khan. "I've not bothered him about it either. All I know is that my father had to help. I still remember my father returning home with blood all over his clothes."

"_What?_"

"It wasn't his blood. Amaru was much happier after that. No one ever told me what happened, so don't ask."

After a while Valkron said, "Who was your father?"

"An assassin, as usual. My mother is one too. She's still alive - my father passed away some years ago from old age. They were just assassins, Valkron."

A cart came trundling past noisily. Valkron watched it disappear into the bustling streets of Morroc, leaving clouds of dust behind.

"Let's go into Morroc now," he said. "We can't stand here all day. Besides, my legs are getting stiff."

The desert city was alive with merchants and visitors, despite the heat. Valkron and Khan wandered around the open air marketplace, watching as merchants bargained with their customers over the prices of apples, meat, juice, potions, accessories, pet food and, on one occasion, pickies for sale. They peeped helplessly at the two men as they passed the cages.

The amount of sound was also incredible. None of the two men spoke - even if there was anything to talk about they would not have been able to hear each other over the din. Pecos snorted and honked, merchants shouted, children laughed loudly in the streets as they played...it was unbelievable. To a Northerner it would been overwhelming, since the streets of Prontera, Al de Baran, Geffen and Juno were kept clean and there was no selling of wares or children playing. 

Valkron was used to it, however. He had been to many places in his lifetime. Morroc, Comodo, Glast Heim, Juno...although he never wanted to visit Niflheim ever again. He had also been to the Orc Village, the Ants' Hill, the Prontera Culverts and the dreaded Turtle Island, off the shores of Alberta. There was nothing he had not seen before, nothing he did not know.

Khan was impressed by this. "I'm amazed. For a Northerner you're pretty adapted to all this."

"If I didn't I would be dead a long time ago," answered the knight, stopping at a stall to examine the cards on sale.

"Where do you come from, incidentally? Your accent hints at Pronteran, but you've told us before that you don't come from Prontera."

"I'm from Izlude," replied Valkron, straightening up. "Which is an ideal place if your ambition is to become a knight."

"Your parents were from there?"

"They moved from Prontera to Izlude." Valkron nodded at the merchant. "Don't ask me why. And on the subject of my parents, please don't go any further."

"I understand."

As they continued to walk Valkron caught sight of the Pyramid in the distance, shimmering in the heat. Home to the Thieves' and Assassins' Guilds, he thought. Amazing.

"What are you looking at?" asked Khan, as a boy ran past them.

"The Pyramid," said Valkron dreamily.

His voice and his expression had not changed, but suddenly Valkron's hand shot out, causing Khan to jump. A few seconds later the knight had pulled a thief in front of him.

"Could you give me my money, please?" he asked the boy.

The thief fumed at him. "I ain't got no money."

"Don't lie to me. I felt it go from my belt when you passed us, and I saw your hand. Give it back, please."

The thief grumbled, but it was clear that if he did not do what Valkron asked he was not going to be free from the iron grip on his shoulder. He pulled out the bag and gave it to Valkron.

"Thanks," said the knight. "Incidentally, can you give me the rest of my money back? I know you have a quotation to stick to, but just give the rest back."

The thief grumbled some more and pulled out a handful of zeny. He slammed it, rather hard, into Valkron's palm.

"Calm down." The knight dropped all the coins into the pouch. "Now, how much is your quota?"

"Twenty zeny a day."

"Someone's raised the quotas again," said Khan, rolling his eyes.

The thief's eyes focused on the assassin. Valkron frowned. The boy was wearing a fox mask, and had white hair that hung over his left eye. But where had he got the money to buy a fox mask? Thieves didn't steal items. They were forbidden to.

"Okay. Here's twenty zeny." Valkron offered the coins to the boy. "I'm afraid I can't give you any more than that."

"I don't need no sympathy," said the thief angrily. 

Khan looked at him. "Take it, or get kicked out. Your choice."

The boy looked at him and then looked back at Valkron. The knight was starting to get the hint now, but he did not say it aloud. When the boy opened his palm he carefully placed the coins into it.

"What do you say now?" said the assassin, as the boy got ready to run off.

The thief scuffed the ground with his fur-rimmed shoes. "Thanks," he muttered.

"Okay, go home."

The thief turned and ran off. Both men watched him go.

"Nice kid, if he wasn't so stubborn," said Valkron.

"Well, Valkron, you were pretty stubborn too."

"Hey, at least I listen to people when they have a good plan!"

* * *

The thief ran to the Thieves' Guild to pay his weekly quota. He was new at the business, so he had been exempted from guild tax for now. At least he was thankful for that.

But he wanted to get more pocket money, and besides...the knight had proved he was still not good enough yet. Damn! He had seen how he had stolen the money! But most people just...didn't.

He stood in the hall and thought about it. Maybe the knight was what they called the "one-in-a million" - one in a million people who could follow thieves easily. Well, he wasn't going to meet someone like that again for sure.

Kyo - for that was his name - walked out of the guild, still musing over this. But his mind drifted towards the assassin instead. The man with the sakkhat had been impressive. 

He wondered if his father had been like that.

When he got home, his mother smiled at him. "Hello, Kyo, how's your day been?"

Kyo nodded, but he kept his eyes away from her. Ever since his father disappeared he had been working hard as a thief to help both of them, as well as his little sister. It was not much, but he managed it for the time.

It was just that he didn't like what he had to do - the bit that his mother and sister did not know.

He went out again and slipped into an alleyway. There he waited, until he saw, out of the corner of his eyes, a small group of silhouettes much taller than him.

They loomed out of the shadows, their eyes glinting in anticipation.

"I satisfied my quota," said Kyo to them. "Is that enough for you?"

"If you're not going to pay your father's debt, boy, you're never going to see him again," hissed the foremost shadow. "Get going!"

Kyo had often wondered about why his father had owed so much money to the gang. He sighed and slipped away, flexing his fingers as he got ready to pick someone's pocket again.

* * *

Raven threw down the sheaf of papers onto his desk, causing the rogue in front of him - and Adiemus, who was watching from a corner - jump.

"Explain," he said.

The rogue winced. Raven in a bad mood was like facing Baphomet when his territory had been invaded. However, he'd rather go against Baphomet than the senior rogue.

"Well, this...this gang of rogues seem to be exploiting kids for money and goods," said the rogue. "The Thieves' Guild is complaining that their members are being especially targeted, and that means they're stealing more than they're allowed because the gang wants even more than the guild does."

Raven sighed. "Morroc's authorities are not sufficient to curb the problem?"

"No, sir. They've dispatched six day troops and twice as many night guards to try and help out, but it often ends up in a bloody mess with no witnesses and no one captured."

"And now they've come to us for help with the problem." Raven leaned against the desk. "Do they know the lengths that the Brotherhood is going through just to stop trouble?"

"They're all the way down south, sir," said the rogue reproachfully.

"I was talking about the rogues in the Brotherhood, not Morroc's authorities."

"Sorry, sir."

Raven waved a hand. "Dismissed."

When the rogue had gone Adiemus said, "So what are you going to do about it? Go all the way down to Morroc and deal with the gang?"

"What else can I do? The High Brother appointed me to this position, and therefore I have to work on such problems." Raven massaged his forehead. "Oh, what would I give for a fellow rogue who could exercise an iron grip over the gang without even letting them fight...I'm far too lenient these days."

"No, you're just old," said the crusader, walking out of the shadows. "I'm like that too."

"Gah. Well, I'm going to go deal with the problem."

"Alone?"

"What? No! I'm not suicidal! I'm bringing some men with me, preferably the Brotherhood's best guards."

"Will they be enough to curb the problem?"

Raven hesitated. "What are you trying to suggest, Adiemus?"

The crusader shrugged. This was impressive, because a crusader's armour was very heavy and it would take a great amount of effort to lift the shoulders. "Well, you did say you wanted a fellow rogue who can exercise an iron grip over the gang without any bloodshed."

"And?"

"And what? There _is_ a man in this kingdom who can do that. Except he's not a rogue, sadly enough, but you can probably just induct him for a night, can't you?"

Raven stared at Adiemus. Then he said, "I'm going to do what you said, but if anyone shouts at me all the blame is going to you."

"Fine," replied the crusader, holding his hands up in the air as if he was surrendering. "But I doubt anyone would shout at you, Raven. I really doubt anyone would shout at you."

* * *

"This had better be good," said Valkron.

The wind blew through the deserted streets of the desert city. Sand rose in clouds into the air as the wind blew past. Night in Morroc was freezing cold. Overhead the night sky was like a pitch black cloth with diamonds embedded into its fine threads, but now was not the time to stargaze.

"Trust me, Valkron," said Raven, "this will work. Everything that involves you will work. I believe in that."

"Hell yeah."

"No, really." The rogue turned to look at him; with the moonlight illuminating half his face and the other half partially hidden in shadow he looked mysteriously sinister. "I believe."

"In what?"

"I just believe."

Valkron sighed. He suspected he knew what Raven believed in, but he did not say anything. Instead he settled for, "Well, I'm grateful I didn't have to wear your clothes."

"Just keep the badge with you, Valkron. As long as you have it all rogues will obey your every word."

Valkron rolled his eyes. "Just for this night?"

"Yes. What are you complaining about, anyway? You're probably used to this sort of thing."

"I never said I liked it."

Silence. A ball of tangled weed rolled past them in the weed. Valkron looked at the scarred rogue by his side, taking in his desert clothes and the intent gaze in his eyes. Then he looked over his shoulder, into the shadows, where he knew ten rogues, similarly dressed, were hiding. Assassins were good, but these could out-hide them any day.

Valkron had protested against wearing the clothes the rogues wore when they were out in the desert. They were quite practical, up to a certain extent - they were sand-coloured and light. The only problem he had was the fact that the chest was bared.

"There's no protection?" he had asked in outrage, when Raven had worn it as a demonstration. 

"We're already protected. We'll be strapping bandoliers over our shoulders."

"Yeah, you can keep saying that until you find yourself with a spear through your ribs."

"That's because we rogues don't have to worry about people attacking us from the front," Raven had said, with some reproach. "We always backstab, remember?"

Valkron had to admit that was a good point. But since he was not used to backstabbing or doing anything else a rogue was wont to do, he settled for a set of Morroc night guard clothes, which the guards had kindly lent him.

He pulled up his scarf so that it covered his mouth and nose, as the wind sent sand into their faces again. "Where are they?"

"Patience, Valkron." Raven's voice was like the wind itself; the rogue had an unnerving ability of making himself invisible when he was, in fact still there - without hiding or shifting into stealth mode.

The night air was calm and silent. All that could be heard was the distant howl of a wolf somewhere out in the desert, most likely hunting down its prey. 

Suddenly there was the sound of running footsteps. Raven signalled to the rogues behind him; a few ran off in the direction of the sound. They maintained their position, however.

Minutes passed. Then the sound of footsteps growing louder cam towards them. Raven turned around.

"Sir," said one of the rogues, "it's this boy."

Valkron looked into the face of the boy he had run into that afternoon. The thief was looking defiantly up at them; the knight doubted he had recognised the man he had stolen from earlier. After all, the helmet was covering his head so well only a few clumps of white hair could be seen, and his scarf was more than enough to hide his identity.

"Who are you working for?" Raven asked the boy.

"Not telling," he answered defiantly.

"They pay you to not spill the secret? Or you've got something to hide?"

"Or will you get into trouble if you tell?" added Valkron, his voice half-muffled by his scarf. The boy took one look at him and cowered. It must be the Morroc guard appearance.

"Either way we need to know what they're doing," said Raven, giving Valkron a look. "This matter needs to end as soon as possible--"

"Yeah, and it's ending with your death."

No one moved. Valkron was smart enough not to make any sudden movements; he simply turned his head.

There was a group of rogues behind them. They did not look like the rogues of the Brotherhood, who, although could be quite unkempt at times, at least made the effort to make themselves look marginally acceptable by society standards. One of them, a rogue with long blue hair, was holding the blade of a damascus to Raven's neck.

"You move, you die," he said. "As well as him." He jerked a thumb over his shoulder, where Valkron recognised one of Raven's rogues held by a much taller, more muscular rogue and his neck exposed to a naked blade of a sucsamad. The man's eyes were wide open, and were pleading with the people facing him to obey the gang leader's words.

Valkron closed his eyes. Along with the night guard clothing he had been given a scimitar, since his sword girdle could not fit with the clothes. It had been a long time since he had wielded a one-handed sword, but he'd be damned if he could not remember how to handle one.

Right now, though, he couldn't do anything.

"I don't understand why you're doing this," said Raven, without moving. "We give you a good place to stay, good pay and plenty of company, but you just throw it all away."

"A good place to stay? Hah! Those stinking culverts have nothing to keep us from being bored apart from stupid rats and thief bugs! The higher ups have always taken us lower rogues for granted!" 

"You're 'lower' rogues, as you call it, because you don't work for anything you want." Raven's voice was calm, even though Valkron could see he was uneasy. 

"Hell, we do work for what we want," snapped the rogue. He applied very slight pressure to the damascus; Raven tensed even more. "And what we want is money."

"So what are you going to do?" asked Raven. "If you kill me you're in big trouble with the Brotherhood. Not only will the Brotherhood banish you, but Prontera will take action against you."

The rogues looked at each other. Clearly they had not known this.

"We'll let you go," said the leader, "but hand over the boy and the night guard. We're not going to have people spilling our secrets."

"What makes you think _we_ won't?" asked one of Raven's rogues.

"As long as I've got your leader in a tight corner no one's going to do anything, don't you think?"

Valkron immediately knew, from the rogue's tone, that he was going to do something far more drastic than just killing Raven if the opportunity arose. Something had to be done.

He stepped forward, raising his arms. The gang members shifted uneasily as they saw him walk towards them.

"I'll go," he said quietly. "I don't want any more bloodshed here."

The rogue looked suspicious. "Why are you giving up so easily? You guys have been chasing us through the alleyways for nights."

"Well, considering the fact that you've been besting us in those moonlight chases, I don't think I'd want to risk getting beaten up," replied Valkron, shrugging. 

The answer seemed to settle the problem. A rogue grabbed Valkron and yanked him, rather hard, towards them.

That was when the little thief boy broke away from the Brotherhood rogue's grip. He was so fast no one saw more than a mere blur; the rogue leader received a kick in the face. Swearing, he dropped the damascus. Raven immediately whirled around and kicked the rogue's legs out from under him.

One of the gang's rogue's aimed a crossbow straight at Raven, who halted. The rogue leader got up, holding his nose.

"You think you can overwhelm us that easily?" he said. "I'm going to kill you, and then finish off that little brat."

"Too bad," said someone behind him. "You're already in a knot."

The rogue leader turned his head - and realised, very quickly, that he couldn't. Valkron's scimitar was right at his jugular.

"Put the crossbow down," he said to the rogue. "Or you get the same treatment as the fellow who thought yanking me to him was a good thing."

They looked at the groaning rogue. They looked back at Valkron.

"Drop it. Now." Valkron moved closer to the leader, pressing the blade slightly. "If you think I'm afraid of actually shedding blood, let me tell you that whatever's going to happen if you don't put down the crossbow is not going to frighten me."

They looked at one another. Valkron was ready to apply more pressure when the rogue holding the crossbow dropped it.

It fired at the ground. The bolt ricocheted off the sandy ground and went right into the rogue leader's leg.

"Well, a bit unexpected, but better than a scimitar," remarked the knight. He aimed the point at the leader. "All right. Do as what I say, and you might have a chance of surviving the wrath of the Brotherhood."

"What makes you think I'm going to listen to you?" spat the leader. "You're not even a senior rogue!"

"Oh, it has to be a senior rogue telling you what to do? Fine, then." Valkron pulled out something from his pocket and held it up to the watching rogues. "Is that enough?"

They stared at it. In truth Valkron had been uneasy to accept it, even if it was 'for one night only', as Raven had said, but suddenly he knew why the senior rogue had made him do it.

It was an iron badge, on which a wolf's head was inscribed. The badge of the senior rogues in the Brotherhood.

After a moment the rogue leader said, "That's fake! How the hell can you be a Morroc night guard as well as a rogue?"

"I'm not a Morroc night guard." Valkron took off the helmet and pulled down his scarf. "By the way, Valkron's the name."

At the mention of the name the rogues in the gang paled. The little boy, on the other hand, was staring in shock.

"Get your bloody bums back to Prontera, and stand trial in the Brotherhood," said the knight. "Do it. Or face both the Brotherhood _and_ Prontera. The Brotherhood's court procedures are already bad enough; you wouldn't want to face the jury of the Prontera Royal Court, would you?"

It was this final statement that made the rogues give themselves up. With muttering they surrendered. Valkron returned the clothes to the Morroc night guards, who were elated with their success, and went to join Raven and his group at the Kafra.

But he didn't manage to get home that night. The little thief ran up to him.

"Could you stay here?" he asked. "Just for one night? At my home?"

Valkron looked down at him. Then he looked back at Raven, whose eyebrows were raised in question.

"Raven, do me a favour, will you? Nip down to Repherion and tell Iruna I'm coming back tomorrow."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Incidentally, I stared at the word 'sucsamad' for a bit too long and realised that it was 'damascus' spelt backwards.

Anyone knew that?


	25. The Bard, the Monk and the Rogue

Chapter 25

**The Bard, the Monk and the Rogue**

Valkron did not know why he agreed to spend the night in Morroc, with the little boy. He followed the thief to a small house. Although it was dark, he could tell he was in the slum area of Morroc, and he kept a wary eye out for other thieves. He knew sufficient enough about slum areas in that the streets taught harder and sharper lessons to children than in any school.

The boy knocked on the door. "Ma?"

The door was opened by a woman holding a small child in her arms - whether girl or boy, Valkron could not tell. "Kyo! I was worried about you! Where did you go?"

And then she turned her head and saw Valkron.

The knight bowed briefly. "I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but--"

"Has he done something wrong?" asked the woman worriedly.

"No, he's--"

"Please, I hope it's nothing serious."

"Ma'am," said Valkron, who was struggling not to run out of patience, "he's done nothing wrong."

The woman looked at him as if she was still not convinced. The knight sighed.

"I'm here because your boy invited me home," he explained. "I was on an assignment, and due to unforeseen circumstances I finished late. At such a late time I doubt that going back will be worth the effort; besides, I'm grateful that your son," he looked down at the thief, who stared back up at him, "invited me."

The woman's concerned expression did not change. "I'm not sure if you wish to stay, sir," she said. "This house isn't large. We've only got room for the three of us, and--"

"Please, Ma," said the boy.

His mother sighed. "All right, all right. Come in."

Valkron stepped over the sand threshold into a small room. It seemed to serve as a kitchen and living room together, with two doors to either side of it.

"The outhouse is a few minutes' walk from here," said the woman. "This is all we have."

Valkron said nothing. By the dim light of the weak fire in the makeshift hearth he could see a lot that said about the state of the family. The woman herself was thin and haggard - he was reminded forcibly of Emeth - and wore a ragged dress, while the younger child was in nothing more than a grey shirt and trousers, all worn and torn. The only set of new clothing was on the thief.

The fire hardly gave out any warmth at all. There was no sign of firewood around the house. Valkron knew how much Morrocian families needed warmth in the night, but the temperature outside was equivalent to the temperature in the house.

"You'll have to sleep with Kyo, I'm afraid," said the woman, walking over to one of the two doors and opening it. "There's a straw mat on the floor, with a mattress, in addition to Kyo's bed. I sleep on it when he's ill, to keep an eye on him."

"That would do," said Valkron politely. He'd seen plenty of poor villages before, but not as bad as this.

When Valkron went into the room, the thief brought a small oil lamp into the room. The said mattress was on the floor, as the woman had said, so Valkron took off his visor and lay down. He knew the boy was watching him, but he said nothing.

After a while the boy got into bed too. There was a crunch of bedsprings, before the little light in the room went out. Valkron closed his eyes. They had given him a thin blanket, but he didn't think he needed it. He was still wearing most of his armour, and he knew, under the blanket, he was wearing at least several layers of clothing. Not including the armour.

He dozed for a short while. When he woke up he could see the Morrocian sun's rays filtering in from under the door. He lay still, however - he still felt tired.

After a few minutes he realised that the boy was shivering. Very quietly, he got up and went over to the bed, where he adjusted the boy's own blanket and then covered him with the one they had given him. Then he went back to the mattress and lay down.

For a short while Valkron gazed unseeingly in the darkness. Then the little boy's voice spoke.

"The blanket's for you."

"I don't need it," the knight answered softly.

"But you're a guest."

"I'm also a knight. I'm trained to endure much worse things than just the cold of the night."

Silence. Then the boy said, "I can stand the cold. I'm old enough."

"Whatever you think, you're still a boy," said Valkron.

"I'm not a boy!"

"There's a lot more to being a man than just being able to stand the cold."

There was a huff from the boy, indicating that he had given up.

After a bit Valkron asked, "Your name's Kyo, am I right?"

"Yeah."

"You're a pretty bold person," said the knight. "You dared to kick the man in the face."

"He was being a bstard."

"I know. But you dared, all the same." Valkron got up on his elbows and looked up at the bed, where he knew Kyo was watching him. "I'm impressed. You've got a lot of potential."

"Thanks."

"But I have a feeling if you were taught right you could be a good fighter," said the knight. "I've been thinking about this - how about you become an apprentice under one of my guildmembers?"

"I want to be an assassin."

Valkron nodded. "Okay, I can help. I've got an assassin as a guildmember. He can teach you."

There was an uncertain pause. Then Kyo asked, "Does that mean I have to stay in your castle?"

"Well, if you'd like to. It would be much easier if you did."

"But I don't want to leave my ma and my sister."

"I can pay her," said Valkron. "For letting us have you. Five hundred zeny a week. If my estimation is correct, it can cover their basic needs every month. Clothes, food, building materials...and you can have a day off every week to go and see them. How's that?"

Kyo seemed to be thinking deeply over this. Finally he said, "I'll ask Ma."

"You do that." Valkron lay back down and shut his eyes.

* * *

Valkron left promptly, even before Kyo managed to ask his mother. He had simply told the thief to ask for an assassin by the name of Khan in the Assassins' Guild any day of the week excluding the days on which the War of Emperium were held.

On his way there he suddenly felt hungry - and no surprise, because he had not managed to eat dinner the previous night. He recalled a small tavern somewhere in the heart of the city, so he went there.

He had just finished his meal and was leaning back in his seat when he noticed, out of the corner of his eye, a man hurry up to the tavern owner and whisper something to him. The owner nodded and gestured to the others, who hurriedly got up from their seats, leaving their food unfinished, and crowded through the back door.

Despite the owner's efforts to get everyone out Valkron stayed where he was. The man had shrugged, as if from now onwards whatever happened to him was not the tavern's responsibility.

"What's going on?" asked the knight calmly.

"You'll see, if you're not going," was the answer.

So Valkron remained in his seat. He was taking a draught from his glass when three figures entered the tavern.

They were all men. Valkron, watching them out of the corner of his eyes, took note of their appearance. One was a slender, dreamy-looking bard with short golden hair similar to Aramithar's, an apple with an arrow through it perched on his head, and a perpetual vague smile on his face. A lute was slung over his shoulder.

The second man was well-built and solemn. His golden hair and boy's cap reminded Valkron of Samaroh, but unlike the priest his hair framed his face and half covered his left eye. As he walekd he cracked his knuckles; Valkron felt slight alarm at this. He was a monk, after all.

The third was a rogue. He looked a bit like the rogue from the previous night, but he had grey hair and a leaf sticking out of his mouth. As they headed to a table he cracked a joke which Valkron didn't think was funny.

The three of them sat down. The owner went over to them.

"Is there anything you'd like to have?" he asked them.

"Yeah, I'd like some smoked herring, if you don't mind," said the rogue, carelessly flinging an arm over the back of the chair next to him.

"No, I have already eaten," said the monk. Despite his threatening build, his voice was quiet and serious. His accent was thick Southern; Valkron had an image of a countryside farm boy.

"Oh, I'll have the usual," said the bard dreamily, waving a hand.

The owner nodded and left. Valkron kept an eye on them, emanating from him - as much as he could - the aura of an innocent man.

The three of them seemed normal enough. The rogue ate and drank with much joking and laughing in between. From time to time, the monk nodded as he listened to the rogue. The bard simply tuned his lute, humming disconcertingly under his breath and tapping his foot to whatever imaginary rhythm only he could hear.

When they had finished the monk paid the tavern owner. There were people peering in through the back door, no doubt to see if they were gone or not. The owner shooed them out.

To the dismay of the owner (and most likely the patrons of the tavern), the three of them stayed where they were, talking. The rogue did most of it, while the bard spoke occasionally. The monk just stayed where he was, watching them talk.

Valkron turned his head away, pretending to look uninterested. Nevertheless, he also wanted to listen to what they were saying.

Their conversation went like this:

"Hey, remember the time that old man gave us those potions in exchange for the stuff we gave him? What I said? He loved the stuff we gave him so much I said he was potty! Get it? Potty? I still think that's classic!"

"Yes, and he said he should have charged us for the potions right after you said that." This was the bard, but he sounded like he was smiling.

"Well, we all had a good laugh about it anyways. It was too good to let go!"

"Yes, it certainly is a classic."

Valkron found himself wondering, at this point, if the two of them were in their right minds.

"And you made up that song that night in the forest! I still find it funny, even now!" From the sounds of it the rogue was literally dying from laughing. "Isn't it fun to go along together?"

This was where the monk stepped in. "You didn't want him to come along."

"Yeah, but he was a bit annoying first. I had my reasons for protesting!"

"Trying to kick him wasn't just a protest."

"He got on my nerves!"

"It's nothing now," said the bard. "I don't mind, either way."

"You should own up to it," said the monk, ignoring the bard.

"Hey, I gave you my side of the argument, okay? Why don't you evaluate it since you know both sides?"

"You should still own up to it."

There was the scrape of a chair being pushed against the floor. Valkron gave in and looked around.

The rogue was standing up, clenching his fists. He was glaring at the monk. The knight had a sudden premonition and fought down the urge to dive under the table.

"You can't make me!"

"It's up to you," said the monk calmly. "I never said I want to make you do it."

"Then why do you keep telling me to own up?"

"Because it's the right thing to do."

"Now, now," said the bard. "We can't argue here. This is public property, not out in the forest."

"I don't give a damn! You want to fight with me for this?"

The monk looked up at him and got up. "Well, why not?"

At this Valkron quickly stood up. There was no need to pretend anymore. The going had just become tough; now the tough had to get going.

But the monk and the rogue did not see him. In fact, they began to argue as if he wasn't there at all. Valkron walked purposefully up to them.

There was a blur. The knight jumped. The bard had moved in between him and then two of them.

"There's no need to do anything," he said quietly.

"I'm afraid I can't let anything happen," said Valkron, keeping an eye on the two men. "I am a knight of Prontera. I have to see to the public order."

"Yes, but this is not Prontera, is it?"

Valkron's eyes widened for a moment. Then he said, "Get out of my way."

"They are friends," said the bard. His soft tone indicated that he knew he had won.

"Friends don't fight."

"We are all friends," said the bard. "They always fight, but they will always be friends."

"Get out of my way, or risk being arrested by the Chivalry," snarled Valkron, his patience snapping just then.

The bard shrugged and sidestepped neatly. "Don't blame anything on me."

The knight walked past him. But what he did not expect was for the two men to break off their argument and turn on him.

"Whatever's going here ain't your problem," said the rogue.

"Leave us, please," said the monk.

"I apologize, but I can't," replied the knight. "Even if this is Morroc and not Prontera. It is my duty to see to it that the public peace is kept. Do you think I want to do this? It's just something I have to do."

"Well, you certainly don't know enough about Morroc to deal with us!" snapped the rogue. "Everyone knows this happens!"

"You are disturbing the public. They are afraid of you."

"Well, we don't do anything to them! They're afraid of us because they don't know us! Simple!"

Valkron was taken aback by this, but he rallied in time.

"Then stop instilling such fear in them and let them know you're just humans!"

"Hold it, Zak," said the monk, as the rogue started forward. "He's got a point. But then again, sir knight, you don't know us. Why interfere in a place that you do not belong, where there are rules you do not know, with people you do not work with?"

This time Valkron didn't manage to recover. The monk's words were the truth.

"Because...it's my job," he said.

"Then you should stop working and take a break." The monk yanked the rogue away from the knight, but his expression of what appeared to be bored calm did not change. "You should stop being a knight and start being a human."

Valkron's anger rose. "Who are you to tell me that?"

"Who are you to assume we are who you think we are?"

The argument would have got a lot worse just then, but at that moment Valkron heard a tune being played in the background. It was a soft, slow song, and it seemed to be siphoning off his anger. He felt himself slowly deflate, and much to his surprise he saw the other two calm down as well.

He turned his head to see the bard playing on his lute. Although he had come across many bards and dancers busking in the streets he had not heard such music from them. But now, in the empty tavern, clear, rippling notes from the bard's lute played beautifully and soothingly.

When the song ended Valkron blinked. It was as if he had been in another world.

"Glad to help," said the bard. "We are friends. We stay together. We always help each other. Arguing is nothing to what we do," he looked straight at the knight, "Valkron."

There was nothing Valkron could say to this. The bard got up and joined the other two, who looked normal once again. They headed for the door.

"Wait."

The three of them turned. Valkron had not moved from where he was. He was staring at the floor.

"I...I've never met people like you before," he said. "People who dare to stand up to me. Everyone else is always timid and obedient, but you...pointed out the things I was doing wrong. I am defeated." He looked up at them, and smiled. "Thank you."

The three of them looked at each other.

"Blimey, I thought they said Valkron was a tough one to deal with," said the rogue.

"Everyone's human, all the same," said the monk. His bright sapphire eyes were focused very intently on Valkron. "Even him."

"Still--"

The knight turned around. Much to the surprise of the people watching, he went down on one knee in front of them.

"I would be honoured if you would join my guild," he said quietly. "But it is your choice...I am just asking you."

* * *

Lucius drummed his fingers on the table.

"So? What are you going to do?" he said.

There were six people around the table. Only Lucius was sitting. The rest stood or leaned against something.

"Vineis wants us to deal with the Exodus Faction," said Kuroihi.

"Did he authorise the order?" asked Reita, who was standing next to David. The blacksmith blinked lazily as the fire crackled in the hearth.

"No, but it came from Sheuth," said Kuroihi.

"It doesn't necessarily mean the order came from him--"

"If it comes from Sheuth, it comes from Vineis," said Naobi. His soft, hissing voice made several people shift uneasily.

"You have a lot of faith in Sheuth, I see," observed Lucius.

"Sheuth is Vineis' right-hand man. I do not doubt his decisions," said the monk.

The assassin sat back in his seat. "But the Exodus Faction? Vineis has just married Adiemus' daughter. Surely he would show some respect for his father in-law's guild."

There was an awkward silence. No one had considered this before.

"It would certainly prove bad if Vineis goes against Adiemus at this time," continued Lucius. "Adiemus has already lost so much. A man who has lost much would not hesitate to fight like a beast to prevent losing anything else."

Naobi gave a soft chuckle, a not very pleasant one. "Adiemus? Fight like a beast? It is very unlikely of him. He is more of a paper tiger than anything else."

"In the old days," said Lucius sharply, "despite his age, he had a reputation for fighting savagely. So savagely that many men who came to meet him face to face actually fled before they fought with him. Adiemus is not an ordinary crusader, if that is what you think. He has years of the guild business behind him, and even more years of the frontline in his life. He may have a lethargic, gentle look to him, but woe betide those who anger him."

In the silence Reita said, "And does Sedir have a plan?"

They turned to look. In the shadows was the sixth person, silent so far. The grey-haired priest looked up dully from writing in his book.

"Me?" he said. His voice was like Naobi's, except that it didn't hiss.

"Who else are we talking about?" said Reita, rolling her eyes.

The priest dried the end of his quill and snapped the book shut. "Well, what do you want me to do? I normally take direct orders from Vineis, and not anyone else, let me remind you."

"What do you mean, what do we want you to do?" snapped the dancer. "Isn't it obvious?"

"Now, now, Reita," said David.

Sedir blinked slowly at them, his pearly grey eyes giving nothing away. Then he said, "I don't use my magic to undermine people who are related to Vineis, whether by blood or by marriage. It's not in my morals to do so."

"So says the man who killed Horus," said Naobi.

David straightened up. "Naobi, one more time from you and you're getting a nice gift from me. I'm sure you know what it is. This order has come direct from Vineis, Sedir."

"When I mean direct orders, David, I mean face to face," came the reply. "Don't give me that look, I am supposed to do what he says when he comes and tells me so. I don't listen to that tomcat of a rogue, whoever he thinks he is."

"Sheuth would not be happy to hear that," said Kuroihi.

"Sheuth is Sheuth, Vineis is Vineis. Sheuth is not Vineis' mouthpiece." Sedir frowned. "Besides, it seems that Sheuth is working in complete opposite to Vineis."

"Why would you say that?" asked Kuroihi.

"Because Vineis set up this guild to take care of warriors he believes are worthy and prove themselves to the kingdom. The Black Cross...did he not tell you why he chose the symbol? A cross indicates salvation, but its colour is that of a sinner. He wants to show the kingdom that even those who committed crimes or have suffered in the past can achieve."

"And as for Sheuth?" asked Reita shrewdly. "Doesn't he want the same thing?"

"Sheuth bases himself on ordering people around." Sedir examined the frayed edges of his book, deliberately not looking at them. "The orders come through him, but the real ones are those that call for non-aggressive action."

"And how would you know this?" asked Naobi, his hissing voice growing louder. "You have absolutely no insight into the mind of our leader, and yet you think you do! That is pretty bold of you to say so, for someone who has just joined the guild!"

"So says the man who was ordered by Sheuth to attack Samaroh."

A pin would have clanged in the silence.

Lucius at back in his seat. "Fine," he said. "We will go by Sedir's words. Wait for the authorisation of the order to come in, or ask Vineis personally."

"Who?" asked Reita.

"Any one of you. It does not matter who. And this time," Lucius narrowed his eyes, "if any of you do anything that is not supposed to have been done, you will not only face Vineis."

* * *

Iruna stared.

"What?" asked Valkron.

The crusader shook her head vigorously and then turned to him. "Why have you recruited three people, of which two argue and one just sits around and smiles?"

Valkron smiled. "Iruna, I have many reasons for recruiting people."

"You are crazy." The crusader looked back at the arguing monk and rogue. "Then again, you're pretty used to people arguing their heads off, aren't you..."

"True." Valkron cleared his throat. "Excuse me? May I just interrupt your argument for manners' sake?"

The three of them looked at him. "Yes?" said the rogue.

"You didn't give me your names. And if you're done arguing you need to get to know the guild council." In an undertone that only Iruna could hear, he said, "I'm going to abolish it, but you don't need to know that."

"Our names? Oh, yeah." The rogue looked embarrassed.

"I am Silas," said the monk. "The rogue here is Zak, and the bard is--"

"Kumahar," said the bard happily.

Iruna buried her face in her hands. Valkron was trying not to laugh.

"Well then," he said, "are you ready to walk the stones of Repherion?"


	26. Music, Mystery and Meeting

Chapter 26

**Music, Mystery and Meeting**

It must have been the recent events that had transpired, that caused Valkron to oversleep the next day. He would not have woken if Samaroh hadn't taken it into his mind to bang unceremoniously on the door of his room.

"What," growled the knight, pulling open the door, "is the meaning of this ruckus?"

"It's noon," answered the priest, showing him the watch.

Valkron said a word so bad just then that the priest flinched. "Why didn't anyone wake me up?"

"Because we know what kind of person you tend to be when you've just been woken?" said Samaroh tentatively.

"And what day is it today?"

"Woden's Day."

Valkron's "WHAT?" thundered down all four floors of Repherion, followed by a swear word. Samaroh clattered down the stairs ten seconds later and fled out of the castle, past an amused Iruna and a rather puzzled Hlin.

"Um...what just happened?" asked the Kafra employee.

"There's a War of Emperium session today, at two in the afternoon," replied the crusader. "I think I should have woken up Valkron myself. He's not going to be in a good mood. And I'd advise you to get out of the way, too."

Despite her innocent look Hlin proved to be a very clever woman. She disappeared shortly after and did not return until six in the evening.

Just as Iruna had predicted, Valkron was in a bad mood. Emeth, who had the misfortune to accidentally trip him up, received a faceful of what would be rightfully called 'verbal abuse'; Iruna had to clap her hands over Niki-Haru's ears so that she did not hear any of it. Later on she had to reassure the poor wizard that this was a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence.

"Hell, it would definitely be one I wouldn't want to have again," muttered Emeth.

But strangely enough Valkron suddenly became more organised, much more aggressive and far more overwhelming than he would be if he had been in a good mood. Not much happened during the two hours of the war; during the first half hour one or two brave guilds broke through, took one look at Valkron, and then ran for it. No one could blame them.

It was only after the war that the knight calmed down. Emeth quickly made himself scarce, while Khan and Amaru went for a walk along the banks of the river running through Britoniah. Nocturne and Kushana went over to Merseitzdeitz, while Samaroh retired to his room. Nalini and Kala were patrolling in Merseitzdeitz that night, so they were not in Repherion either.

"It's strange to see that there are three people who don't seem to feel intimidated by your presence," said Iruna, unbuckling her great shoulder armour and lifting it onto the table. It creaked menacingly.

"What three people?" asked the knight, looking up at her.

"Our new members."

The two of them were not in the meeting room. They had chosen to stand in the hall for the time being. There was an interesting scene unfolding out in front of them, although Valkron suspected that he had seen it one too many times.

It was of Zak and Silas, arguing. Again.

The knight found himself wondering about the two of them. The rogue and the monk seemed to argue on a daily basis, accusing each other of being weaker or cheating.

"Their vocation is arguing, I think," he said. "Or possibly a habit for life."

"I'd pick the latter," said Iruna.

And the bard Kumahar was of an even more puzzling nature. All he did was to sit around, tuning his lute or mandolin or whatever he chose to play, humming disconsolately to himself and scribbling down words on pieces of paper. Sometimes he would gaze up into the air, or the ceiling in the case of Repherion, and sit there for hours on end. Valkron was sure that if Kumahar did not earn his regularly tired neck he would stay in such a position for possibly the rest of his life.

"Valkron?"

"Hm?"

"Are you going to introduce them into the guild council?"

"What? No. No, I don't think so."

"So why are they here?"

"They may bicker a lot," said the knight thoughtfully, "but they're actually quite good. I haven't seen Kumahar get off his rear just yet, but Zak and Silas are turning out to be great fighting companions."

This was true. Before the invading guilds had seen Valkron's face they had met Zak and Silas. The two men had, with an amazing precision and cooperation that the knight had never seen before, whittled down the number of invaders to at least one third of their original attacking force.

"When they're not arguing they make great fighters," he said.

"I'm amazed that they actually get along so well," remarked Iruna. "I'm not being sarcastic at their constant arguing - I meant that. They squabble like drunks, but when they're not arguing they're great friends. Like Khan and Amaru."

"Is it me or are we getting some sort of 'group participation'?" said Valkron, still in thoughtful mode. "Nalini and Kala joined, and then these three. Who else are we going to get, I wonder?"

"Why do you ask?"

"I don't know. I just feel that way."

They watched as Silas threatened to kick Zak out of the castle through the wall. Then Iruna said, "Somehow I keep thinking that these three are going to prove to be quite significant."

"Why do you think that?"

"I don't know. I just feel that way."

Zak was now countering with his dagger, threatening to cut Silas' nose off.

"Are you playing around with me again, Iruna?"

The crusader laughed. "Oh, Valkron, why can't you just take playful banter as it is?"

Valkron sighed. "You know I'm too serious for that."

"Loosen up!" Iruna gave Valkron a cheerful slap on the back that made him cough. "Life's not all work! Now that you've got a guild and someone who loves you, why don't you let your hair down for once? Show us another side of you!"

"I haven't got one," muttered the knight, rubbing his back gingerly. "And you hit like a plank of wood."

"Crusader training," said Iruna brightly. Valkron gave her a look, but said nothing else.

After a few minutes he said, "I should go and stop both of them now, they're actually going to start hitting each other."

But as he went forward Kumahar picked up whatever instrument he was currently fancying and began to play. Valkron halted mid-way and turned to watch him instead. From where she was Iruna too kept an eye on him.

The music he played was unlike the clear, bright tune he had strummed when they had been in Morroc. It was more mysterious now, and it sounded slightly heavier. But the element of surprise came when Kumahar took a deep breath and began to sing.

Valkron held his breath. The song was in Old Runic. He did not understand most of the words, but they did not need to be understood. They spoke of peace and quiet, expressing their own beauty in way Valkron could not forget. As he stood there and listened to the enchanting song he felt as if he was lost in another world, a world of tranquillity and calm that he had always wanted.

It seemed a long time before the strains of the last note faded away. Valkron opened his eyes, and for a moment was surprised to see himself still in Repherion. The world he had been was so real--

"That was beautiful, Kumahar," said Iruna, clapping. The sound of her voice brought Valkron to his senses. "Your magic is wonderful."

"Magic?" The bard gave a soft, musical laugh. "It was no magic."

"But you used Old Runic...?"

"Old Runic, when used in songs and speech, has no magical properties." Kumahar put his instrument down on the floor and leaned against it. "Only in spells."

"How'd you know all that?"

"The Kingdom's Musicians study the languages and the songs. They look for the meanings hidden in them, in every folk song, children's song, festival song. We are required to study them as well."

"The Kingdom's...?"

"I've heard of them before," said the knight. "They're similar to the Order of Juno, the Chivalry, the Prontera Church, the Institute of Alchemy and so on. The Kingdom's Musicians are based in Lutie, and they are a bard-only association."

"Correct," said Kumahar, in a precise tone. "Since the other professions have guilds and such, why not us? Thus the Kingdom's Musicians came about."

"I suspect you have even better manipulation of words than a sage," said Valkron, grinning.

"Alas, no. Sages, priests and wizards have the power to utilise words into attack and defence methods. We simply enjoy the sound of music."

Valkron and Iruna looked at each other.

"Well, I think we should be off now," said the crusader. "Oh, Zak and Silas have stopped fighting. That's good."

It was true. The rogue and the monk were now clapping each other on the back and laughing, as if nothing had happened between them.

Valkron smiled briefly, and headed for the stairs. Iruna followed.

Once they were on the top floor the knight turned around. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Could be," replied the crusader, shrugging.

"How old do you think Kumahar is?"

"Hm...I'd estimate at twenty-five."

"Twenty-five! And an accomplished bard at that!" Valkron looked back the way he had come. "It's incredible! I've never seen someone use words that well!"

"Yes, and he's a teacher as well," agreed Iruna. "The way he talks and responds...it's got to be a teacher's behaviour. Emeth is starting to become like that."

Valkron snorted with laughter. "Our dear wizard," he said. "Well, if I wasn't abolishing the guild council tonight Kumahar would have automatically got in."

"Yes, he'll be a major asset to the gui-- wait, what? You're _abolishing_ the guild council?"

Valkron, who was walking away from her, looked over his shoulder. "Yes. Why are you giving me that funny look?"

"You're not joking with me, are you?"

"No. Do I look like I am?"

Iruna looked uncertain. "But...why?"

"I'll explain it later," said the knight. "For now I'm just going to go and take a shower. Once everyone's back I'll call them into the meeting room and I'll go through it. Sorry about the change of mind, but it has to be done."

* * *

Samaroh liked to read his books in the courtyard of the Prontera Church. Although it was not as spacious as the one in the Chivalry - he had seen it, yes - it had a few groves of yew trees around it, and they offered much shade and coolness.

Samaroh had also been given the duty of keeping an eye on the courtyard. Although Prontera Church was as old as the Chivalry, it did not have many secret passages in and out of it. Those that he knew of either had caved in or been sealed permanently to prevent acolytes skipping out of the church. The only way they could go out now was via that courtyard. As it was, the priest was to make sure no one slipped out.

He had already caught two, one when he had fooled the boy into thinking that he was engrossed in his reading, the other when he had put the book on his face and shut his eyes. Samaroh, however, had a very extensive personal space, and was an expert at detecting life force passing him by.

Today he was reading on manipulation of simple spells into more complex ones. The writing here was more difficult to understand, so he was struggling to try and finish the paragraph he had been trying to absorb for the last half hour--

"Samaroh?"

The priest looked up. A shadow had fallen across his book; he had been concentrating so hard on the paragraph that he had not noticed it.

"Yes, Aragan?"

"There's someone wanting to see you," said the acolyte.

"Oh, really? Who is it?"

"Not the monk who attacked you the last time, that's for sure. One of our lot."

Samaroh looked at the acolyte. Aragan was the only one who had the right to call Samaroh by his name and not address him the proper way. The reason was that he was the oldest and most experienced acolyte in the church. Most people found this hard to understand, since every acolyte bar one was a teenager; Aragan was over twenty years old.

"One of our lot? What do you mean by that?"

The acolyte showed his palms, as if to say, "Who else?"

"Hm. Describe him to me."

"He's a bit taller than you, and he's got grey hair and eyes. Personally I find him a bit...odd. I wouldn't want to cross him."

"Thank you," said the priest. "I'll go and see him now."

Aragan nodded and walked off. Samaroh watched him disappear into the shadows of the church before he headed towards the other side.

He reached the building where priests like him stayed if they had no home. And that was when he saw.

He stopped short in his tracks.

The two priests gazed at each other. Acolytes passing them did not give them a second look, but some priests did, and when asked to describe the scene all they could say was, "One man, with golden hair and green eyes, and another man with grey hair and pearly grey eyes."

It was Sedir who spoke first. "Father Samaroh, I assume?"

Samaroh blinked. "Yes."

"I wish to talk to you."

The eyes and the voice were emotionless, giving nothing away. Samaroh quickly considered his options and knew he didn't have a choice. "Then it will be so."

"Am I interrupting you? If I am you may wish to continue whatever you were doing and get back to me later."

_Get back to me later_, thought Samaroh. _Sounds like I really don't have a choice._ Aloud, he said, "No, I was not doing anything much before you came."

The priest in black robes nodded. "Shall we go somewhere more secluded?"

Samaroh wished he didn't have to do it, but he followed Sedir to a much smaller courtyard. It was deserted; the place was right in the middle of small storerooms that were hardly visited by anyone except from time to time.

Once they were there, Sedir turned around and said, "Before I begin, let me congratulate you on your induction as bishop, Father."

"Thank you," said Samaroh, a tad stiffly.

"You set an example to the rest of the clergy. Now, to the point."

The priest found himself holding his breath. The hand that was not holding the book crept around to his back, where his trusty, heavy cross-headed mace hung from his waist.

"I wish to apologize to you regarding our monk's behaviour towards you the last time."

Samaroh nearly cut himself on the arms of the cross on his mace.

"What?" he said. "Is that _all_ you came to tell me?"

"Yes." Sedir bowed low. "That is it."

Samaroh was stunned by this, but he recovered quickly. "Sedir, of all times and of all the people why do you come to tell me this?"

"It is a decision we, as members of the Black Cross, deeply regret," came Sedir's voice from the black-robed back in front of him. "Naobi acted on unauthorised orders. He has received his punishment from Vineis and has sworn not to injure you - or any other member of the Raulus guild - without orders or on impulse."

Samaroh frowned. "Oh? So if there were any orders to kill me given, would he do it?"

"Vineis would never do such a thing." Sedir straightened up. Samaroh found himself looking into the deep grey, emotionless eyes. "He may be an aggressive guild leader, but only in the War of Emperium. With the people he is a much loved, dedicated warrior, and that I believe in as well."

_Keep calm_, Samaroh told himself. _You're talking to the man who has been rumoured to kill people without touching them, without even knowing them. Don't say more than you ought to._

"But if it were so?"

"Regrettably, yes. However, Naobi will only do so during the War of Emperium."

"Ah. There should have been a catch somewhere. I knew it."

"Rest assured, Father. We will not attack you. The Raulus guild means nothing to us." Sedir bowed again, but this time it was brief. "Now that my message has been conveyed, I will leave your presence, Father."

"Wait."

Samaroh had not intended it, but the word had come straight out of his mouth. Sedir stopped and turned, gazing at him with such intensity that the priest felt as if a rather bright ray of light had just shone on him.

"What does Vineis want?" he said.

Sedir gazed at him in silence. Then he said, "Only to show that we are a dedicated guild, and we will not stop at anything."

Samaroh watched the man walk away, and as he did one thought came into his mind.

_We will not stop at anything, eh? So if the Raulus guild threatens the Black Cross' position...?_

* * *

"_What?_ You're _kidding_!" exclaimed Emeth.

Valkron shook his head. "No, I'm not."

He had just broken the news to the rest of the senior guild members.

"But why are you abolishing it?" asked Nalini, frowning as she leaned on the mantelpiece. "Wouldn't it be better if we had one?"

"And what good does it do, having a load of hobnobs right up on the hierarchy tree and weighing it down so much it snaps one day?" retorted the knight. "I don't find it any use. We have nothing to do that goes with it."

"But every guild needs its strategists, its leaders, its motivation--"

"No."

The single word sent the entire room in silence. Every pair of eyes was on him, every ear listening to what he had to say.

"I'm building this guild from scratch," said Valkron. "I don't have any preference for anyone, not even for the seven who journeyed with me and fought for the restoration of our world. Warriors of the world don't have a choice over who they work with, and I'm keeping to that."

"That's up to you, Valkron, not to us, and calling us warriors of the world is suicidal--"

"I'm not finished," said Valkron, silencing the sage. "Everyone in this guild, no matter how young or old, no matter how weak or strong, has a part to play in the working of the guild. Be it finance, be it strategy, be it warfare - everyone has a role. I won't put up with the sort of thing the Black Cross goes through, what with passing orders from one another. What if the order was misunderstood? Or if the order was altered? With hierarchy comes division."

"That's a bit naive, the way you put it," said Iruna. "With hierarchy comes organisation and impartiality."

"Oh, really? So Samaroh's beating up had nothing to do with it?"

Everyone turned to the priest, who was standing in the corner. He squirmed uncomfortably under everyone's gaze. "Hey, don't stare at me like that."

"Some kind of order was given," said Valkron. "An order that was not heard by Vineis. An order given by someone else, pretending it was given by the wizard. I am not going to put up with such things."

"But you know us well enough--"

"I can tell you, Nocturne, that no matter how much time I spend with you, I will never get to know you as well as you yourself do."

"Valkron, you already had the idea in your mind before Samaroh told you what had happened," said Iruna. "Samaroh's case was just an add on. Could we have the _real_ story, please?"

Valkron sighed. It was always very hard to distract her, and he actually hadn't had the hope that he would succeed this time.

"I just...don't want such a thing," he said. "Don't you agree with me that unity is much better? 'Course, if the whole world was united there wouldn't be anything to look forward to. But when we are united, we can work together to improve the world's standing. Even if we're making the world a better place for a short while. It's better than not making it a better place at all."

"Some things are not as easy to achieve as you think," said Iruna.

"I know." Valkron closed his eyes. "You may not believe it, but I haven't actually managed to achieve what I've always wanted. However, I'm prepared to go through anything to get it...unless I've been asked to sell my soul or my guildmates, that is."

Everyone nodded in agreement, except for Iruna, who still looked uncertain.

"But, Valkron...just being warriors of the world won't make a difference--"

"Iruna, what part of this don't you understand?" said the knight, kneeling down and looking into her eyes. "I know my plan isn't completely foolproof, but this is just the way I think. And no, I'm not pleading or begging you to side me completely even though I am gazing into your eyes and being uncharacteristically romantic and everything. I like it when you challenge me, I just want to do this. For now. We can reinstate it later, if there is a need to."

Iruna looked into Valkron's eyes and exhaled. "All right, Valkron. And I'm not saying that because I love you."

Valkron got to his feet and faced the sniggering crowd. "What are you all laughing at? I was being serious."

"Nothing," said Nocturne, who was grinning broadly.

"So is that agreed?" the knight asked the group. There was a chorus of "Yes!" and "Definitely!"

"That's good." He turned back to Iruna, who had this expression on her face that he had not seen her use before.

"You and your charm," she said. "Uncharacteristically romantic, eh? You are uncharacteristically charismatic."

"Not necessarily," said Valkron truthfully. "Oh, Kushana - could I have a word with you? Preferably in private?"

The huntress looked startled at this sudden interjection, but she said, "Okay."

"See you in a bit, Iruna, just got to talk with her for a while..."

"Don't you dare go off gallivanting when I'm not around!" shouted back the crusader, grinning. Valkron gave her an agonised look before hurrying out of the room, followed by Kushana, leaving Iruna laughing at him.

Once they were outside he turned to the huntress. "All right, before I begin, I just want to warn you that I'm going to ask you a question that may or may not be answered with you slapping me across the face."

"Why would I do that?" said Kushana, looking taken aback. "Isn't it suicidal to even hit you?"

"Don't be like those people who fear me so much they scuttle out of my way when they see me in the street, please. I've had enough of them outside, I don't want to have any of it in here as well." Valkron took a deep breath. "But you get my point, don't you?"

"Yes, I do. I'll try not to hit you, then. Maybe punch the wall."

"Yeah, maybe. Right." Valkron cleared his throat. "Kushana, can you please tell me if, in any way, you find yourself attracted to Emeth?"

The huntress stared at him. Then she said, "Can I kick your shin armour?"

"If you like."

Kushana did so, with a resounding _dong_. Valkron swayed a little - the vibration of his shin armour was not pleasant - and then said, "Well?"

"How did you know?"

Now it was Valkron's turn to stare at her. "What? You actually do?"

"Who wouldn't? All the girls love him when he walks past them! Even married, much older women fall in love the second time when he goes past them!"

"They do it because he's good-looking."

"Yes, he is handsome," said Kushana dismissively, as if Emeth's looks had nothing to do with her. "But it's not that. Emeth has this...this _something_ to him that other equally eligible bachelors don't. It's not his looks - although that's a bonus, for me - or his charisma, or his height, or anything else. I just wished he'd show more of that side to me."

"What side?"

"The side he hides from everyone! He's always ashamed of himself, that's what I notice. If he can just step out of the shadow and face the light he wouldn't be so...so..."

"Cowardly," suggested the knight.

"No, that wasn't the word I was looking for..._scared_, that's it."

"Emeth? Scared?"

"Yeah, he doesn't look like it, I know. But he's afraid of what people think of him." Kushana sighed, shaking her head.

"Yeah, you told us that. Or was it you? I don't remember. Never mind." Valkron paused, then continued, "So what are you going to do about it?"

"If he just wakes up from his constant putting down of himself maybe I might change my mind," said the huntress calmly.

Valkron raised his eyebrows. "Really?"

"Yep."

"Okay, thanks."

As Kushana disappeared back into the room Valkron thought, _Well, looks like I've got to do something. But what?_


	27. The Song at Home

Chapter 27  
**The Song at Home**

Matchmaking was a lot harder than he thought. Emeth had not been seen at all after the War of Emperium that day. According to Hlin, who had been the last person to see him, he had gone off to the Magic Academy.

"I hope they're not pressuring him to mark papers," he said.

"The exams begun already?" said Eni, looking up from feeding Fluffball with its daily carrot juice.

"Yeah. Seems that this year they're having a tough time. There's hundreds of candidates sitting for the exams, and from what Blizzardriss has told me each senior wizard is going to be marking at least three hundred papers in three weeks."

"How can they mark a hundred in a week?" said Iruna, looking horrified. "That's overkill, isn't it?"

"Well, wizards are supposed to be the best people for time management as well," replied Valkron. "They've been practising it since they were magicians. Most people aspire to be wizards when they grow up, only to realise that they have to slog their way through as well as remain all rounded."

"I think that's why we've got an excess of sages," said Samaroh, passing by.

"No, more like drop outs."

"Ah."

"Or people who remain magicians," said Iruna. "I've met a few, quite old, magicians. They don't want to study for the major exams that qualify them to become wizards."

"Well, that's their loss." Valkron paused. "So we're definitely not seeing him for a few days, eh?"

"More like a month," replied Khan.

"Oh, yeah, thanks for reminding me."

Without Emeth they did not know if they could go through another WoE session, but soon after the news reached their ears. Hlin and Kushana came hurrying through the door of the meeting room as they got ready to leave.

"Valkron, the word on the street's out," said the huntress breathlessly, coming to a stop in front of him. "Prontera's calling off the War of Emperium until the wizard exams are over."

The knight sighed in relief. "Good, no more fighting for a month. I've always wanted this peace. Thanks for telling me, Kushana."

As the huntress left Hlin came up to Valkron. She looked nervous again. "Um...sir..."

"Yes?"

"There's a thief here wanting to see you."

The knight raised his eyebrows. "Oh? All right. Khan!"

"Yes?" said the assassin, leaning out from beside Amaru to see what the matter was.

"Come with me. This involves you."

The assassin got up from his seat and followed Hlin and Valkron out. In the front hallway, looking small and scared, was Kyo.

"Why did you have to leave him in the hallway? It's freezing!"

"Well, I did light the fire in the fireplace over there." Hlin pointed to a fireplace that looked no less than a beast's mouth, gaping, always ready to swallow the flames that danced within.

Valkron waved it off. "You can go. Khan?"

"Still here," answered the assassin.

"I should apologise to you."

"Why?" The assassin looked surprised.

"Because I got you into something without asking you first."

Khan looked at the boy, and then back at Valkron. "So I'm going to teach him?"

Valkron was impressed. "Well, yes."

Khan shrugged. "Figures. I knew he idolised me the very moment he set his eyes on me."

They turned to see Kyo standing in the hallway, looking small. He was staring in awe at the great ceiling of Repherion, where overhead the open skylights let in great rays of light that fell to the floor.

"Doesn't it rain in here?" he asked, looking at them as they approached.

"You're telling me," said Valkron.

Khan grinned. "Ignore him, he's always like that."

At the sight of Khan Kyo grew very quiet. Although he was about fourteen or so he was still capable of giving someone the puppy-eyed look of admiration and hero worship. Valkron had to turn around so that they did not see him laughing.

"Valkron, I may forgive you if you stop laughing this very minute," said the assassin, giving the knight's back a look. He looked at the thief and smiled - he was not wearing his sakkhat or his mask.

"Um...hi," said the thief shyly.

"Hello there," said the assassin. "You may not understand this at first, but I'm a friendly assassin. My name is Khan."

Valkron watched as the man shook hands with the thief. The boy blinked, clearly awed at the presence of Khan, but he managed to say, "I'm Kyo."

"Nice to meet you, Kyo."

"You'll be staying with us," said the knight. "I'm already sending money to your mother, so she'll be fine. You'll be in Repherion for six days of the week, and on the Day of the Sun you can return home to see her."

"Can I write to her, too?" asked Kyo, a smile breaking the nervous look on his face.

"As much as you want," answered Valkron, shrugging. "This is your guild from now on."

"I like the way you tell people that," said Khan, watching as Kyo began to explore the hallway. "You say it to everyone who comes into our guild, as if you're giving them a second home."

"That's because I believe a guild shouldn't just be a fighting body, Khan," said Valkron. "Most of the people used to have a home, or never did have one in the first place."

"Still standing by your declaration that we are warriors of the world?"

"Yes!"

"Whoa, okay, I didn't mean to get you angry." Khan backed away. "I was just asking."

Valkron tried to relax himself. If he had been a bird his feathers would be settling down now.

"Sorry," he said. "I just get a bit touchy when people ask me that question. I think I'll go out."

"To where?" asked someone behind him. The two men turned to see Iruna.

"You're always going off somewhere," she said. "Which is weird, because you always complain that you've got no work to do in the Chivalry, but you hang around there all the same."

Valkron remembered the leather box in his office, with a pang of discomfort. _Not today_, he thought. _Not today. Really. They're coming back again._

"That's because I've always worked there, and nowhere else," he explained. "But I've got to get out of there sometimes, you know that."

Iruna sighed. "Oh, very well. But tell me where you're going, at least."

"Home."

* * *

When the blue light of the warp had disappeared, and his head had stopped spinning, Valkron stood where he was and surveyed the area. He had been expecting something close to homesickness, but he didn't. He felt nothing.

He looked around at the area. Izlude had always been quiet. Adventurers found it a handy spot whenever they were travelling by foot from Alberta or Payon to Prontera, and swordsmen and swordswomen used the surrounding fields as their practice courts. But overall the satellite city of Prontera was always mostly deserted.

He walked past the stallholders, nodding at them. He could remember a lot of things about them. They were always there whenever he needed food or drink, be it meat, fruits or juice. They nodded back, but he doubted they remembered him as a short boy with swordsman clothes and bushy white hair.

He walked down one of the streets of Izlude, looking around him. Nothing had changed ever since he had moved to Prontera. The little stone houses, with their tiled roofs and geranium-filled windowboxes, their little chamomile gardens and dainty gates, their quaint doors and neatly paved pathway leading to them. Yet Valkron did not feel anything within him, which was odd. He had always felt homesick whenever he returned to Izlude.

The knight kept walking, remembering the old days. He was so absorbed in his memories that he nearly walked past what he was looking for. Luckily he came to his senses soon enough and backtracked.

There it was. A little house, no different from the rest. But there were no brightly coloured geraniums nodding and winking at passers-by, no chamomile-filled garden. The window shutters were open, and grey curtains, ragged and torn, fluttered in the wind. Unlike the other houses this one had no life.

Which was just as well. It was the reason why he had moved out of it.

Valkron walked to the gate and opened it. Rust covered the hinges and the lock - he could even snap the lock off, the metal had gone so brittle. He looked ahead, and his eyes met a garden overgrown with weeds and grasses, so much that the pathway leading to the door was barely visible. Valkron shut the gate with a clonk behind him and walked up the path to the door.

When his nose was one inch from the door he closed his eyes and placed one hand on it. The wood was cold, even through the thick knight's gloves he had worn today. Late autumn was giving in to winter, and it would be soon before every house would be covered in snow and frost, but in this house...it was already winter, and would forever be winter.

He felt as if he was in another world, at the door of the old house. Every sound - the chirping of the birds, the whistling of the wind - was muted and distant. He opened his eyes and gently pushed the door open.

It yielded to his touch. The door swung open with a small creak; bits of rust fell off the hinges. Valkron caught the door so that the gap it made was big enough for him to pass through but not swinging any farther so that it would drop off its hinges. Then he slipped in noiselessly and shut the door behind him.

The empty house was desolate and bare. He looked around at what used to be a living room, with soft chairs and rugs. Now it was grey and ugly. The thick layer of dust on the floor lay undisturbed, save for the footprints he had left. There was only one small, rather dismal, footstool sitting to the side, and this he went and sat upon.

As he stared at the floor he heard laughter. A child's laughter, bright and happy. Footsteps echoed in his ears, as voices mingled with the laughter. He heard the happiness and the brightness in them, before they faded away.

_Once, long ago, this used to be a happy place_, he thought. _But now...everyone is gone. No one lives here anymore. No one wants to live here anymore, because they think it's haunted by spirits._

_My parents' spirits._

He reached out and let his fingers brush the floor. They left three clear streaks in the dust.

Suddenly it hit him. The feeling he had been expecting for so long until he had forgotten about it flooded him. Valkron closed his eyes and kept quiet, but deep inside he heard weeping - the same weeping of the fateful day it had happened.

Later he had never wanted to stay in a house with memories that would never happen again, so he had left for the Academy instead.

As Valkron sat there, letting the feeling wash over him as he stared blankly at the floor, he became aware that someone was singing. He looked up, but there was no one else in the room.

The voice, however, was so loud it was as if the singer was standing next to him. The only thing was that if there had been anyone with Valkron they would not have heard the words of the song, or even the voice. It was for Valkron, and for his ears alone.

The knight listened to the song, that sounded as if it was being sung by a long-dead elf. He listened to the words, spoken by an enchanting but forlorn voice.

When it faded away he could still hear the words. And he knew that whatever was coming in the future would not be good.

He sighed. There was nothing he could do to stop it from happening.

* * *

Valkron returned home early, so that no one saw him. He went upstairs immediately.

Kumahar opened the door immediately after the knight had knocked.

"Yes?" he said, his dreamy, vague look giving nothing away.

Valkron was taken aback. "I didn't expect you to answer so quickly."

"I'm composing a new song," said the bard, "but it's okay, really. I've got into a rut, so I'm glad of the distraction. Come on in, you look like you've got something bothering you."

Valkron entered Kumahar's room. It looked as simple as ever, and as if the occupant didn't seem interested in decorating it. Even Emeth had left some of his belongings in his own room, which made a statement that although he was messy he did like making his room look as if someone had lived in it.

This one didn't seem to have been lived in at all. But what Valkron noticed was that the room's atmosphere was exactly like Kumahar himself - vague, dreamy and in a completely different world.

"Sorry about the darkness here," said the bard, pulling open the curtains, "but I like setting the mood for my songs. You can sit anywhere you like, it's your castle after all."

"It's the kingdom's castle, and since this is your room it's yours to control." Valkron sat down on a chair next to a small round table. "And you're right. I do have something bothering me."

"Really?" The bard sat down on the chair opposite him. "What is it?"

"I'm intending to make a guild...song."

"Really?" Kumahar had procured a piece of paper and quill from nowhere, and appeared unperturbed with the idea. "What's its theme?"

Valkron wordlessly took the paper and the quill from the bard's unresisting hands and scribbled on it for a few minutes. Then he handed it back.

Kumahar's lips moved as he read it.

"Do you have any tune in mind?" he asked, his eyes still on the paper.

Valkron sighed. "You're making me do what I don't want to do."

"Sorry."

"But I'll do it anyway."

"Sorry.'

"Don't you tell the others that I can sing. And if you say sorry one more time I'm going to kick you."

"Sor--" Kumahar caught Valkron's eye. "All right, all right, I just had the impression I was upsetting you. You're not in a good mood."

"You didn't upset me." Valkron sighed. "It was...something else."

Kumahar looked sideways at the knight. Valkron looked tired and weary. The lines on his face seemed more obvious this time.

"Okay," said the bard. "Sing it, and then I'll do the rest for you."

* * *

That night Kumahar played the song on his guitar. Everyone's eyes were on him as his long fingers strummed the strings.

Only two people were not watching him. One was Valkron, who was staring at the floor, his head bowed so low that his white hair covered his entire face from view. The other was Iruna, who was watching Valkron.

"That sounds...depressing," said Eni, when Kumahar had finished trying out the tune. "What's the song? In my opinion a guild song should be happier and a lot more..."

"Victorious," agreed her brother.

Kumahar glanced at Valkron, but the knight had not said anything. He shrugged.

"Valkron gave me the words, I'm just doing it to what he says," he said. His fingers rested on the strings for a minute before they began.

They listened to the introduction, and then Kumahar took a deep breath.

_"Does the sun fall  
when a storm is raging?  
Do the birds die  
when the world is changing?  
Beyond what others see,  
we believe in the truth._

_When the world calls,  
we give a helping hand.  
When the people cry,  
we are there to understand.  
Our duty, our honour,  
lies in the power to soothe._

_Warriors of old,  
we rise to fight;  
Defending our world  
from the evils of might.  
Those who are blind,  
then will see  
The dream they are living  
is a fallacy._

_Truth be told, in the end  
Our downfall is by our own men.  
And like the fiery bird of the heavens,  
We will rise again."_

There was a silence. Then Eni said, "That was definitely depressing."

"_You_ made it up?" demanded Nalini, looking straight at Valkron. "I thought you'd be a lot more positive than this! This is downright disheartening!"

"I don't think you should bother him, Nalini," said her sister, looking apprehensive. "He seems a bit...downcast today. Maybe it's just his mood, he'll probably make a better song on another day."

"No."

They looked at him. Valkron had lifted his head slightly.

"This is the song. It's fixed."

Immediately there was a cry of outrage, but it died away almost immediately. Iruna had got to her feet.

"If he says it's so, then we should let it be," she said, her voice clear and firm. "Valkron doesn't usually make up songs, and even if he does he wouldn't make them out of a reason. It may be depressing, but can you even imagine him singing, say, a kid's song?"

Her audience's faces indicated they had tried the idea, but somehow their imagination had just shut down at the notion of it.

"Let him be," she said. "He's been troubled enough, you don't have to trouble him even more."

They grumbled a little, but no one went against Iruna's words. Within minutes everyone had turned back to what they were doing before Kumahar had announced about the guild song.

As the hubbub in the meeting room resumed the crusader walked over to Valkron and knelt down. She took his limp hands in hers and looked up into his face from below.

His green eyes were half-closed. Of what she could see of them, they were glazed over. She reached out and clasped his cheek, caressing his face while her other hand grasped his.

It took some time for Valkron to respond, but when he did he lifted his hand and touched the hand on his face. Iruna held it, moved up and kissed him on the lips.

She moved away after a few minutes. "Valkron?"

The knight looked at her. Iruna looked into his eyes. An image of her younger brother flashed through her mind, and the thought that always came into her head whenever she looked into Valkron's eyes: _He may be a warrior, a man of duty and responsibility and a stubborn fool at times, but his eyes will always tell the story of his life._

"Everything's okay," she said. "You're with us. Nothing bad's going to happen so soon. Even if a lot did happen...it was a long time ago. No one can change that. Come on, Valkron, let's look to the future together."

Valkron stared at her for a few minutes. Then, much to her relief, he smiled.

"Thank you, Iruna," he said. "Thank you for saying that."

The crusader smiled back. "Feeling okay?"

"I feel better." Valkron straightened up; Iruna got to her feet and drew up a chair.

"I'd better not ask you how your home was, you looked quite ill when you came back," said the crusader. "You're not so pale now, at least. I'm thankful for it."

She gasped. Valkron had just hugged her.

Iruna had known he was unfamiliar to a woman's body, so she was surprised that he was holding her so tightly. After all, her head reached his shoulder when they were this close, and she was often running the risk of suffocating in his collarbone. But somehow the way he was hugging her was more comfortable than previous times, and she just could not help but put her arms around him and share the hug.

She leaned her head against his shoulder, and she could hear his heart beating. She knew people would disagree with her, but to her the sound of another person's heart, especially of someone she loved, was the most comforting thing in the world.

"I don't know what I'd do without you," came Valkron's voice, slightly muffled. "I don't know what I'd do without anyone here. I can't believe I used to think I'd never need anyone with me."

"That was before you met us," she said. "No one could blame you. You're amazing - I doubt I'd ever be able to live alone for thirt years. But you've learned to live with people now, Valkron, and that's good."

"I'll never forget this," he said. "I'll never forget you. I love you, Iruna, and I will never regret it."

"I love you too, Valkron."

"Yeah, it's lovely," said a scathing voice from the side. "Oh, the love in the air! For Odin's sake, it's not even bleeding spring yet and you're already making out in front of everyone! Go shower beggars on the street with your love, why don't you?"

Valkron and Iruna broke apart and stared at the intruder.

"What are you talking about?" asked the knight, clearly bewildered.

"You know what I'm talking about! Don't muck about with me, you two-faced hypocrite! What do you think _you're_ doing?

"Why are you so touchy--" began Iruna.

"Me? Why am _I_ so touchy? You answer that question yourself, you know the answer! Stop pretending!"

"I never expected you to behave this way," said Valkron, slightly angrily. "What the hell happened to--"

"She can defend herself! Let her answer!"

By this time everyone had stopped what they were doing, even Hlin. They stared at the outraged speaker, hands and mouths paused in an assortment of activities. Amongst them Kushana turned slightly towards him with an expression of sadness and disappointment.

Valkron looked up into the glowing, angry, sunken eyes of Emeth.

--

The lyrics of the song above are MINE. DO. NOT. STEAL.

Besides, you don't actually know the tune...

Please view my profile. There is an urgent message for all my readers there. Please.


	28. The Lion and the Wolf

Chapter 28 (rewrite)

**The Lion and the Wolf**

Valkron did not understand. Why was Emeth angry with him? There didn't seem to be any point.

Unless...

"what's wrong, Emeth?" he said, getting to his feet, aware that the entire room was silent and everyone was staring at the enraged wizard. "I thought you were marking exam papers back in the Geffen Academy--"

"So it means I can't come back any time I like?" Emeth snarled. His face was barely inches from Valkron's; it was amazing that the knight did not back off. "What, this isn't my guild now? I don't belong here, is it?"

"I didn't say that--"

"'course you didn't say that! That's your excuse every time, isn't it?"

"What is the matter with you?" said Iruna, disgustedly. "Get a grip on yourself, Emeth! This is not the time to argue!"

"It's none of your business, so shut up, you b!tch!"

Everyone gasped. Iruna looked shocked. Valkron's eyes narrowed.

"She's got a right to ask--"

"Yeah? So it's none of your business either!"

The knight shoved Emeth towards the door. "Get out."

"Kicking me out of the guild, now? Fine, I'll just get out--"

"If you think I'm kicking you out like that you must think I'm incredibly stupid," said Valkron. "If you want a fight get out into the hallway. Let's see who gets the upper hand, eh?"

Emeth glared at Valkron before sweeping out of the room, his exit only slightly dampened by the fact he had to duck to avoid hitting the top of the doorway. Valkron turned back to the rest.

"Don't get hurt," said Iruna. "And don't hurt him either."

Valkron could not help admiring her for understanding the situation so well. "I won't. I know what's bothering him - well, I think so. Don't worry about us, I'll deal with this the best way I can, without drawing any weapon or doing anything violent."

He hurried out. The rest watched him go in anxiety.

"What if Valkron can't stop him?" asked Eni worriedly.

"Pile in and try to." Iruna shrugged. "It's not a question of whether we can stop him or not. Not stopping him is out of the question, and an option we do not have."

"He looks like he can kill off an entire army on his own," said Nocturne. "Are you _sure_ he'll be fine?"

"I'm sure," said Iruna. "I just wish it wasn't happening."

There was shouting from outside. By the sound of the voice it was Emeth.

"And it's just started..."

* * *

In the hall of Repherion Valkron and Emeth stood five metres away from himself. However, this distance was nothing compared to the fact that the wizard's aura was spreading through the hall. Valkron felt as if he was standing next to the wizard.

"All right, let's settle this," he said, trying to be patient. "Calm down, Emeth. What's the problem?"

"What's the problem? You're asking _me_ what the problem is? It's right under your nose! You've got to be as blind as Kuroihi to not see it!"

"I don't know what you're bothered with, from your point of view," said Valkron, raising his voice. "You don't have to come barging in and interrupting everyone!"

"So says the man who doesn't treat people like humans! I'm sick and tired of you being the leader here, it's always the same old thing everyday! Every time I come back you're in a bloody bad mood and you just act like a total bstard! What the hell's wrong with _you_? You should be asking yourself that!"

"I'm trying to be civilised with you and you just won't explain anything to me?" snapped Valkron, his patience breaking. "I'm not talking about anything that's wrong with me! You're disturbing the peace here, and I want to know why!"

"Me? Disturbing the peace?" Emeth snarled back. "The problem came from you in the first place! I'm sick of this...this _human chemistry_ you keep doing right in front of the entire guild! Don't you even have the slightest bit of decency in you? What did your parents teach you, how to be a two-faced hypocrite? Because that's what you really are!"

Something snapped, deep inside Valkron.

"YOU DON'T KNOW ME, YOU--"

Inside the meeting room everyone winced as a string of vulgarities followed. Iruna clapped her hands over Niki-Haru's ears; Khan did the same to Kyo, despite the protests.

"--IDIOT, HAPPY NOW?"

It was true that only wizards and sages could extend their personal space, but the barely controlled anger that was steaming off Valkron was forming an aura around the knight. However, it was not easy to stop Emeth once he had got started.

"So what if I don't know you? You don't know me either, come to think of it! Why can't you bleeding admit that you're wrong in the first place?"

"What is wrong with me? Why can't you tell me?"

"I'm leaving you to find that out for yourself! You should be smart enough to do that, right?"

"Fine then, if you don't want to tell me! I can tell you what's wrong with you! Whatever you're doing now is making mountains out of Ants' Hell! You're just arguing with me because..."

Valkron hesitated. Did he dare say aloud what he was thinking? It was like putting his hand into the lion's mouth.

"Because what? Too cowardly to say what it is?" sneered the wizard. "Spit it out! I want it here and now!"

"Because you can't forgive yourself for what you've done and all you want is Kushana to at least say something about forgiving you for what you've done so that you can move on from your past when you can actually do that yourself," said Valkron, a lot quieter than he had expected.

Emeth blurred. Valkron leapt back, but he was one second too late. The clenched, gloved fist sped through the air and struck Valkron across the face--

A shriek rent the air. There was a blue blur; Emeth turned, gravity overcoming his momentum, to face an iron-clad fist coming the other way--

Valkron hit the floor.

Then a lot happened.

When the dust had cleared, Emeth was sprawled on his back, on the floor, staring up the length of a five-foot-long, well polished two-handed sword, the tip of which was inches from his neck. He was staring into the hard, ferocious eyes of Iruna, and ignoring the cut on his lip.

"Don't you ever," she breathed, "dare hit Valkron again."

Valkron struggled to sit up. "Iruna, no!"

Emeth stared at her. Everyone stared at her.

The wizard got to his feet, carefully avoiding the tip of the sword. Iruna did not move it, but her eyes watched him get up. With one last glare at them Emeth turned, his cloak whirling around like the edge of wrath, and strode out of the castle through the small door, slamming it behind him.

The sound broke the spell. Iruna turned and ran towards Valkron, her sword clanging on the floor. Upon reaching him she threw her arms around his neck. He was still gazing at the door Emeth had gone through.

"Valkron, are you-- oh, no..."

There was a deep cut on his lip; blood was smeared across his lower jaw. As she gazed at it in horror a trickle of blood ran from it down his neck.

"We have to see to that." She lifted a trembling hand towards it, but he pushed it away.

"Why?" she heard him say. "Why does it have to be you, Emeth?"

Suddenly white light surrounded the cut on his lip. As Valkron continued to stare, Iruna turned to look up at Samaroh, who shrugged when he saw her looking at him.

"It's my job," he said in a strained voice. "Whatever happens."

* * *

The wind howled around Prontera Castle. Inside it, sitting at his desk in his thick-walled room, Seyren sighed and put down the report from the Black Cross. He had been working late into the night. Someone had gone and made the report so elaborate that he had to pick out relevant information. He had been working on it for _days_.

And to top it off he was running out of candles again. Winter was approaching fast, and light disappeared fairly quickly from his room. He gave the candle on his table an annoyed look. It was a Number Twelve, six inches, yellow tallow, and hardly lasted as long as he needed it to. It wasn't fair that he got these particular candles for his office.

He made an annoyed sound. The rest of the castle, particularly rooms that were almost never used, had Number Threes - fifteen inches long and made of white tallow. One of those could last for days.

Well, they never said he couldn't get _alternate_ forms of light.

He got up from his seat before pinching out the flame. In the darkness he lit a small oil lamp with a match and went to the nearby wall. Very gently he applied pressure on a brick that looked no different from the rest.

The brick sank into the wall, before a section of the wall moved forward noiselessly. Seyren pushed one side, and it rotated around to reveal a passageway disappearing into the darkness.

The sage went into the passage. Anyone listening to him would have heard him mutter things like "No, today is Thor's Day" and "It is one in the night". Anyone listening with the enthusiasm and senses of a paranoid assassin would have heard the whirring and ticking in the walls.

After a while, a small door in the side of the castle leading to the gardens opened, and Seyren stepped out. He breathed the fresh, cold air before he set off around the gardens. There were bright green dots flying about, and he had brought with him a number of jars.

For a while Seyren caught fireflies, only stopping now and then to shiver in the cold wind. When he had finally finished he brought his jars in. Once he had reached his office he carefully arranged them and took one jar. He carefully placed it on the table in front of him. The sheer number of fireflies gave out enough light to let him read and write.

Seyren shook his head at them. They would last long enough for him to negotiate a constant supply of Number Threes, if the prices for tallow dropped. The approach of winter meant that there would soon be no fireflies to use.

The sage sat down and picked up his quill. He looked at the jar, where the fireflies, in their desperate attempt to escape, were colliding into the glass with little _tink_ noises. Then he returned to his work.

Later on, as he was chewing on the end of his pencil thoughtfully, he picked up a book in which he had recorded all the guilds that had ever existed and absently scribbled a small note on the inside of the back cover.

_Being in charge of guilds is like catching fireflies for the purpose of light. You catch a jar and use their light until they die, and then you throw them out and catch another jarful._

* * *

Atop the battlements of Rothenburg, Luina, the blue-haired blacksmith known as David sat cross-legged, fully exposed to the howling wind that preceded winter. However, he did not seem to be feeling the cold as the wind blew around him, although he was sitting in his blacksmith's clothes.

He had not been able to sleep that night; he was far too worried. Whenever he was concerned with a problem he needed to solve he would sit upon the battlements of the castle he resided in, whatever the weather, and mull over the problem.

Of all his problems, three quarters were solved this way. The remaining problems were usually resolved with his hammer.

_If I'm not wrong_, he thought, frowning, _Lucius suspects Sheuth. Of what, he doesn't know._

_That's some good help._

_But if anyone gets in between Vineis and Sheuth, the rogue will definitely do something. Lucius says he is 'dangerous'. No idea what that means, either._

_Why did Lucius suggest something coming in between Sheuth and Vineis?_

David opened his eyes and stared unseeingly towards the horizon. It was well past midnight, so everything was pitch black.

_No. Not her._

If _something happens to her Vineis will be devastated._

David had seen Vineis devastated before, a long time ago. He did not want to see it again.

_That means our primary target is her. We have to keep her safe._

After a while a horrible thought came into his head: _How long can we keep Sheuth away from her?_

David closed his eyes again, partially because he wanted to think properly, but mostly because the wind was making his eyes lose its moisture.

He sat there for a long time, swaying a little in the wind, his eyes tightly shut. There was no other sound besides the sound of the wind whistling around the battlements.

Suddenly his eyes opened wide.

_That's it. That's our only choice. We don't have any other way of solving this._

_Good. Lucius needs to be informed._

David turned around and swung his legs off the battlements, leaping lightly onto the ground. He felt much better and not so burdened.

However, in his relief, he failed to realise that he had forgotten one crucial matter.

* * *

A few days later, Valkron made his way to the Chivalry, as was part of his usual routine.

"Hello," he said dully, when he had reached the receptionist's desk. "Is there any work for me?"

"Well, no, I don't think so--" she began, and then stopped dead at the sight of him.

Whatever had happened during the argument had taken its toll on the knight. He had dark shadows under his eyes and looked haggard. Samaroh had done his best, but the cut on his liip had not completely healed - it was more of a horrible blue-black bruise that stood out on his otherwise pallid face. Although not many people knew this - save for Iruna, who had known for several months already - he shaved regularly with a cut-throat razor, but by the looks of him he had not done this for a few days.

"Umm...are you all right, sir?" she asked tentatively. Valkron had never been unkind to or angry with her, but she wasn't taking the risk.

"I'm fine," he said tiredly, running a hand through his hair. He was not wearing his usual armour today, either. "Is there any work for me?"

"Well, no, not as far as I can recall..." She looked through the folders on the desk. "No, there isn't anythi-- wait, I do remember someone mentioned your name a few days ago. Hang on, I scribbled a note about it somewhere."

She searched through the folders while he waited. Finally she pulled out a piece of paper, waving it triumphantly. "Yes! I knew it! Let's see...it's from Sagna, sir. He says he wants to see you."

"All right, thanks," replied Valkron, taking the note from her. He turned to go, but then she said, "Sir? Sagna is no longer in the barracks."

"What do you mean?" he asked, turning around.

"He was promoted a couple of days ago, to the position of assistant logistics officer in the Information Department, City Division. He says he would like to see you in the office there."

* * *

Sagna looked up from his paperwork. "Hello, sir-- Whoa! What happened to you?"

"It's nothing," said Valkron. Enriel had given him the look Sagna was giving him now, and the knight had glared at him so pointedly that the supervisor had hastily returned to his work. "Congrats to you."

"Wh-- oh. It's nothing," the younger knight said, looking down at his desk and suddenly becoming very interested in his paperwork. His face was turning red.

"What do you mean, it's nothing?"

"I thought you would have wanted me to work in the Military Division," the boy muttered, still red in the face. "And I chose to be a mercenary and everything, too. I thought you'd be expecting me to be a bit more active, but then they put me here--"

"Hey, who's being modest here?" shouted Enriel above the usual din in the department, from behind Valkron. "There's nothing wrong with a desk job in the Chivalry!"

Sagna, if possible, turned redder. Valkron turned his head and winked at Enriel, who gave a thumbs up and a big grin in return.

"In my opinion, this is a great place to work in," said the knight commander. "You've got a great supervisor and a friendly community. You've not let me down, Sagna. I'm proud that you've got this far."

"Thanks, sir," replied Sagna, still very interested in his paperwork.

"Good job." Valkron clapped the boy on the back, making him jump. "Stick to it."

"Yeah, and besides our man Enriel can tell you that a job here isn't all paperwork either," said a new voice. "Right, Enriel?"

Several heads turned towards the supervisor, who was looking annoyed and amused. They were grinning. Then they looked back to their work again.

"I'm going to get you next, Saladin!" shouted the supervisor. "You just wait!"

Valkron turned around. "Saladin! That's a name from the past!"

The knight behind him swung out his hand lazily, and Valkron caught it. They grasped each other's hand momentarily before releasing.

"Whoo, you look like you've been through a battle of the mind," said Saladin. "Caught a cold or something?"

"Just some problem in my guild. I'm trying to figure out how to resolve it."

"Which will take you many sleepless nights, I'm sure of it. As the rogues say, 'too many weekits will scrape off the top of your jigmush'." Saladin chuckled.

Valkron grinned. "I've heard that one before."

The reason why Saladin, another mercenary knight but with dull red hair and a drooping cigarette usually emitting blue smoke, stood out from the rest of the Chivalry was because he did not behave like a knight. While knights in general walked around with straight backs and looking as if they owned the place, Saladin swaggered around and fitted right in with the street scenes. This was because his whole family were rogues.

But he had broken the tradition and become a knight. However, as a child he had spent much time with the Brotherhood and, as a result, could walk and behave like a rogue as well as speak their language at the drop of a hat.

Valkron remembered him because they had both saved each other's necks several times. As an unwritten rule he never forgot anyone who saved his neck.

"Yeah, so get that weekit down before you lose your mind." Saladin beckoned to Valkron. "Gotta talk to you for a bit. Come over here."

Valkron followed him to a table set aside from the haphazard cluster of desks in the office. Saladin was Enriel's best friend and main informant, and was quite senior in the department.

"Have you read the paper recently?" he said, as they reached the desk. "Not the one we publish - that one is more ignored than read these days."

"Which one, then?"

"The _Prontera Standard_."

"You know I don't trust that paper."

"Yeah, I know it's complete rubbish," said Saladin, rolling his eyes, "but sometimes you get bits of stuff even _I_ don't know. Did you hear about the Odyssey?"

"What about it?"

"It got disbanded a few days ago."

Valkron looked at Saladin, and felt himself freeze over. The thin, dark-skinned face looked gravely solemn.

"Permanently," the knight added.

"What happened?"

"Got brought in front of the Pronteran Royal Court, and had their Guild Approval Stamp revoked." Saladin jerked a thumb at where Sagna was sitting. "Go easy on the kid. He was still down when he joined us. We had a hard time helping him out. Luckily Trugan proved he isn't as useless as we think he is and made him feel right at home."

"Let me see the paper."

Saladin reached over and took the rolled up newspaper from his desk. He handed it over. "Best not to open it outside till you get back, Valkron. People might get touchy."

"And why would that be?" asked the knight, opening it and scanning the front page.

"'Cause the word on the street is that the Black Cross pulled some strings and kicked the Odyssey out of existence," said the red-haired knight, in such a low voice that Valkron had to lean forwards to hear the words over the din. "Don't say that out loud, though. I mean it."

"You've got to be kidding me."

"Do I look like I am? Oh, great, Trugan's bragging again. Trugan, keep your gob shut or I'll shove a spear into it!" Saladin shouted, so abruptly that Valkron jumped. He turned back to the commander, shaking his head. "Where was I? Yeah. Take that back to your guild, and whatever you do mate, don't cross them."

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind." Valkron hesitated. "Saladin? You've got a connection to Raven, haven't you?"

"He's more of an acquaintance than a connection, but yes, I do talk to him."

"Tell him to keep an eye out, along with Adiemus. He'll get what I mean. I haven't seen him for days."

_Wizards are like lions_, thought Valkron, as he left the Chivalry. _They're majestic and lazy, until they're riled up. Then they attack so ferociously they can tear your face off._

_When something like this happens, the only people who can stop them are wolves, and it's a major responsibility. Problem is, I'm one of them._

--

Rogue slang glossary:

weekit(s) - problem(s)

jigmush - brain.

Saladin, Enriel, Trugan and another cast of knights belong to another story, but I'm not talking about them here.


	29. The Second Game

Chapter 29 (rewrite)

**The Second Game**

The entire room was silent that night when Valkron unfolded the paper and read from the front page.

_"ANOTHER GUILD SENT INTO OBLIVION._

_After a month of constant adjourning the case against the Odyssey was closed today. Many tears were shed and protests of rage were shouted as the jury of the Pronteran Royal Court signed the papers calling for the revoke of the Odyssey's Guild Approval Stamp._

_'Our word is final. The Odyssey is to be disbanded permanently, and in no occasion whatsoever be reformed. Any such actions will earn the death sentence.' These were the words of the King's Guild Correspondent, the sage Seyren, today, in the last minutes of the court session. The entire guild's council was present for the verdict, as was the guild leader, Gillivan, also known as 'Hawkeye'._

_Although those words have been spoken, there were still some rebels who chose to attack the Guild Correspondent verbally as he emerged from the Pronteran Royal Court. However, despite the lack of bodyguards around the sage, no one dared to go near him._

_'The Guild Correspondent is much feared,' a noble told the_ Prontera Standard_, on the agreement that his identity is kept anonymous. 'He hails from the mountains of Mjolnir, and he is reputed to have the skills of a knight at his disposal. My, today he was certainly like the hammer of Thor.'_

_And indeed, the Guild Correspondent's words seem to have fallen hard upon the former members of the Odyssey. Although Gillivan himself stayed expressionless throughout the day, many of his colleagues were inconsolable in their grief._

_'There is nothing I hold against the Guild Correspondent,' the hunter told our reporter. 'It is his job to see to the running of the kingdom, and I do not blame him if he has to carry out such activities.'_

_However, when asked if there was someone to blame, Gillivan is said to have clenched his fist before saying, 'Yes, there is one man who should pay for this. I will not name him, but he will know who he is.'_

_Gillivan refused to inform our reporter despite our questioning, and later disappeared from the scene._

_As to the people who were present during the court case, they had many questions for the Guild Correspondent and the jury. Although the Guild Correspondent declined to answer and returned to Prontera Castle early, the jury accepted questions from the public._

_Amongst the usual questions about the reason why the Odyssey was disbanded (see side column for the charges), there was a question that seemed to concern most of the population. Our reporter had the chance of asking the jury, 'Are our guilds really protecting us, or are they simply a drain on our kingdom's taxes and funding?'_

_One figurehead of the jury answered this, saying that 'our guilds are doing a fine job, and we can sleep safely in our beds knowing that they protect us from anything and everything dangerous that comes our way'. However, he also added that 'too many guilds may cause instability of the economy, and there may not be enough civil servants employed to keep an eye on them. Therefore the guilds may assume that they are free to do anything they want'. Later on we discover that _The Laws and Ordinances of the Guilds of Rune-Midgard_ were specifically created to counter this situation._

_Our reporter was then inspired to ask another question that had the attention of the public: 'Would it be better if we had one guild to defend our kingdom?'_

_The members of the jury had mixed reactions and opinions to this question, but they seem to agree that one guild is sufficient for the kingdom's defences. One of the members of the jury added that it is the main reason for holding the War of Emperium._

_However, the public have expressed concern over the guild to be picked by the King himself that will defend Rune-Midgard._

_'I wouldn't want a small guild to try and defend such a big kingdom like ours,' says a merchant. 'But then again, a guild that's too big might threaten the kingdom itself. I guess there has to be compromise, but wouldn't it better if we just had certain guilds serving a specified purpose?'_

_Will it be the end of the many guilds in the kingdom? Will the rule of the greatest guilds end, only to be replaced by a guild with no name in the history of Rune-Midgard? What will the kingdom say to the millions of people now voting for their favourite guilds? And will the kingdom really accept the idea of a single monopolising guild?"_

The silence was broken by Nocturne. "I knew the _Prontera Standard_ was becoming rubbish."

"Um...I don't think that matters right now," said Iruna carefully.

"Is that it, for the article?" asked Khan.

"There's an appeal for the disbanding of the Odyssey, and some advert asking people to voice their opinions concerning the 'one guild for the kingdom' concept at the Merchants' Hall in Alberta," said Valkron distantly, as he continued to read down the front page. "That's it, really."

"So was the Black Cross really behind the whole thing?" asked Eni, looking across the table at Valkron. "Or was it the Odyssey's fault in the first place?"

The knight looked down at the paper. "I don't know. Who's Gillivan, by the way? I've only heard about him." He looked up. "Nocturne?"

It was Kushana who answered, however. "He was the old leader of the Hunters' Guild in Payon. When he decided to form his own guild he had his son take over."

"Is he the kind of man who would do this kind of thing?" asked Nalini.

Kushana looked pained. "What was the Odyssey charged for?"

Valkron, who had returned to gazing at the paper, said, "Blackmail, undermining other guilds' morale, usage of counterfeit zeny, corruption amongst the guild council members and reports of bribery."

"No, I don't think it was the Odyssey," said the huntress, in a strained voice. "Gillivan is not the kind of man who would enjoy such activities. He was a dedicated opposer of corruption and even considered forming an anti-corruption protest on his own, if he had not been so busy."

"And yet he was still charged for such things," said Valkron. "Did the Black Cross bribe the Guild Correspondent or something? That seems likely to me."

No one answered his question. He wasn't surprised. No one had heard of the name Seyren before.

"So where's he now?" asked Aramithar politely.

Kushana looked down at her feet and swallowed. Samaroh, seeing this, got to his feet and went over to his sister. "What's wrong?" he asked gently.

"One day after the court case, Gillivan hung himself," she said.

Even if the winter wind had entered Repherion then, it could not have sent the temperature plummeting as fast as those words had done.

Samaroh put an arm around his sister's shoulders. Valkron felt like he could not say anything. No one could. They were staring down, or anywhere else that was not someone else. Hlin started to come in, saw the silent group, and hastily left.

_A warrior worthy of Valhalla, lost forever to Hel_, said a voice, very quietly, inside his head. _How many more will go before the truth is revealed, if there is a truth, and if the Black Cross is responsible for such crimes?_

Finally Valkron said, "Well, there's our minute of silence for him. I'm not talking about this anymore. If you want to turn in for the night, you can. Do anything you want."

He turned away, and as he did a hand touched his arm gently. He looked up into Iruna's face. She raised her eyebrows momentarily. He nodded briefly, and she left.

For the first time in his life he had never hated politics more. The War of Emperium was just a playground, and the big guilds were looming over the smaller ones, even if they did not intend to. And somewhere, a teacher would ring the bell and call the game over, but until then...

_...round and round the little ball goes, where it stops nobody knows..._

...who would be next?

* * *

The next day Valkron felt listless. To take his mind off the dreadful prospect of the game he decided to focus on another burden.

He went to Hlin and got himself warped to Geffen, where he steadied himself before he headed straight to the Magic Academy. He had to talk to Emeth, whatever happened.

But, as he found out, it was difficult.

"Nope, you can't see him," said Blizzardriss, looking at a piece of paper stuck on the wall behind him. "He's invigilating a History of Magic exam now, and then in the afternoon he's got an Observation of Magic practical exam to take care of."

"What about lunch?"

"We eat lunch and mark papers," said the green-haired wizard. "No putting things off. We've got loads of papers to mark."

Valkron would have disagreed with him, but the knight had great respect for wizards. Besides, the wall behind Blizzardriss was covered in papers stuck all over the wall - most likely timetables for papers.

"Tell me, is there anything wrong with Emeth?" he said. "Anything...significant in his appearance?"

"Sorry, I can't do much to help you there," said Blizzardriss. "All the teachers look the same to me - haggard, tired and half-dead."

Valkron nodded his thanks to the wizard and left the Magic Academy, worried and unhappy with the way things were going. He was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he did not hear the footsteps behind him, and when he did he was too late.

He turned; the person behind him chose that moment to leap at him and grab him around the waist. There was a scuffle as Valkron tried to take the person's weight, and then a thud as he lost his balance.

"Hey, be careful there," said a familiar voice. "Iruna wants him conscious, you know."

Valkron felt the person get off him. He sat up to see Silas and Kumahar standing in front of him.

"Sorry about that, sir," said the monk, his face expressionless as Kumahar offered a hand to Valkron. "Zak does that to practically everybody we have to find."

Valkron turned. The rogue was dusting himself.

"Sorry there, boss," he said cheerfully.

"Next time be a little more gentle," said the knight, his face breaking into a smile despite the current situation. "I'm old, you know. And don't call me boss."

"Okay, got that, bo-- guv."

Valkron considered this form of address, and then shrugged, "Guv is fine."

"Thanks, guv!" Zak whooped, punching the air. "Hey, Silas, he let me call him gu--"

"Don't get carried away, though," said the knight, grinning.

As he went to catch up with Silas, he saw Kumahar look over his shoulder. The bard gave him a brief smile before turning back to the front.

* * *

"Is that all you can suggest?" asked Lucius.

"It's all I can think of," said David.

The assassin rubbed the tip of his nose thoughtfully. "Hm. And do you think it will save us all?"

"I'm sure it'll work, that's all," said David firmly.

Lucius stared at David. The assassin had a very unnerving stare. His eyes were a deep ochre, and many had told him that his gaze caused a lot of nobles to break out into a sweat.

But somehow his gaze could never affect David. True, it did work on people like Naobi and Reita, but a select few, such as Sedir and, yes, David, were not moved by it. The blacksmith simply stared back.

"I am not sure if it will work in the long run," said the assassin, eventually, "but we will see. Your plan is good, and I do not see flaws with it - unless you have forgotten to reveal them yourself."

"I totally swear to you that I thought about loopholes, and I'm glad to say that I found none," said David.

Lucius considered the blacksmith again. "Then it is agreed. I will inform the others as soon as possible. Is there anything more that you wish to say to me?"

They were in one of the meeting rooms of Skoegul. The castle had thick walls and there was very little chance of anyone eavesdropping on them. In addition Lucius had excellent senses. Although it did mean that they had to sit in semi-darkness it also meant that most people would not suspect there was a meeting going on in any of the rooms.

"Well, there is one..." David looked uncertain, but Lucius simply focused on the blacksmith.

"What is it?"

"Did you hear that the Odyssey has been disbanded?"

"Yes, I did. What about it?"

David looked as if he was suffering some sort of internal struggle, before he burst out, "They say we had a hand in the whole business! And Gillivan is dead!"

"Calm down, David," said Lucius. "Does Vineis know of this?"

"I doubt it. If he did he would have already seen Gillivan." David looked away. "But it's too late."

"The charges against the Odyssey were found to be genuine," said the assassin. "We did not have a hand in this."

"What if someone bribes the Guild Correspondent?"

"Seyren?" Much to David's surprise, Lucius laughed bitterly. "That man is like a stone wall when he deals with guilds. He cannot be bribed - as straight as an arrow, they say. He judges court cases without emotion, and he has no pity for the guilds he disbands as well as no sorrow or grief to share with the members. He treats them like things, not the living, breathing community that is truly a guild. If he did not eat and breathe like us I would not have considered him human."

"So that means he can turn against us!"

"Rest assured, David. They cannot find anything with us. We fight for the king. We fight for the kingdom. We have no faults."

David nodded, although he still looked apprehensive. They sat in silence, the winter wind howling through the battlements of Skoegul above their heads.

At length Lucius got to his feet. "Well, I should be returning to my duties if you do not have any matters to discuss with me. Good day, David."

He was halfway to the door when pain shot through his body. Lucius gasped as the world spun around him. He tried to reach out for something to steady himself, his hand grasping fruitlessly.

There was shouting from behind, but he did not hear the words. Blood and pain pounded in his brain and his ears. He staggered, feeling jabs of pain surge through him. The carpet came up to meet him--

David caught the assassin before he hit the floor.

"Sedir! Where are you, damn it? _Sedir!_"

* * *

That day Valkron sat in the meeting room looking through the rest of the _Prontera Standard_. Most of it was the usual rubbish the newspaper had now committed itself to advertising, but he could see that avid supporters of the Odyssey had put up support columns and consolation articles.

_...the Odyssey was a guild worthy of the King's title...why let such fate befall them...they helped save people...they were generous...Gillivan is a good leader..._

He sighed in exasperation. None of their words had worked. Gillivan had still killed himself in despair and in loss.

Valkron sat back in his chair and closed his eyes. He understood what Gillivan had to go through. After all, the leader had lost what he loved doing, and somehow that was the time when you didn't seem to want to live...

There had been a time like that, in Valkron's life. He remembered the day as if it were yesterday. The day he had run to the river and waded into it, desperate to get away from the taunts and the laughter, desperate to stop the loneliness and the suffering...

He had hesitated. Was he ready for death? It would take away his pain, yes?

Then he had looked up to see a man on a horse. For some odd reason, as he looked at them, everything else faded into the background.

The horse was grey, he remembered. The man astride the horse's back was bearded, and wore a grey cloak and a blue, wide-brimmed hat that covered his left eye. He had given Valkron a look.

"Why are you giving up your life?" the man had asked. "Is there not anything you would live for here?"

"No," Valkron had answered. "I've lost everything I've loved, and no one cares about me! What's the point of living when there's no one to care for you?"

"Nothing to live for? Then try living for the world. There is much for you to learn, boy, and one of them is that losing everything you have is not the end of the world. You still have your life."

Valkron had been upset that the man had said there was much for him to learn. Hadn't all his teachers said the same thing? He had glared into the river, at his reflection. When he had looked back up the man and his horse was gone.

But then, Valkron mused, back in the here and now, sometimes even living for the world just seemed so desolate and difficult. Even Gillivan would have found it hard to live through it.

"Valkron?"

The knight opened his eyes. He was completely alone, save for Amaru, who was sitting right in front of him. The room was dim - Hlin had not been in yet to replace the stubby candles in the brackets - and the only light was from the fire in the hearth beside him.

"Yes?"

"Am I interrupting you?'

"No, you're not," said Valkron. "Even if you were, I'm glad you did."

"Oh." Amaru pulled on his cigarette thoughtfully. "I've been discussing with Khan, and I agree with him that you should know what you need to know. After all, you have the right to know."

"What do you mean? He has the right to know as well, being your best friend and all."

"Yes," said the blacksmith solemnly, in his deep voice. "I know. That's why I've told him everything."

Valkron stared at him. At length he said, "So...what is it that I need to know?"

Amaru stared into the fire burning in the hearth for a long time. When Valkron was beginning to think that the blacksmith had decided not to talk, the man took his cigarette out from between his lips and flicked it into the fire.

"Everything."

"Everything about what?"

Amaru took a deep breath. "Me."

* * *

This chapter was supposed to be as long as the rest, but unfortunately I have probably forgotten something that was in the original, worth 3-4 KB. Con of rewriting.

Pro of rewriting: I've realised something about the course of the story that I did not see the first time I wrote.


	30. Memories of Despair

Chapter 30 (rewrite)

**Memories of Despair**

There was a crash from downstairs, and shouting. Amaru turned over in his bed and sighed. He could not sleep with the noise, but there was nothing he could do about it. Heavily troubled and wishing it would end, he covered his head with his pillow in an attempt to block out the noise, but when he nearly suffocated a few minutes shortly after he abandoned the idea.

He sat up in bed and rubbed his eyes. Suddenly he became aware that the noise downstairs had stopped. Maybe it was over. There was only one way to tell.

He was reaching out for the door handle when he suddenly remembered the box. If it was over he would need it.

The 'box' was located near the door, after several minutes of groping about in the dark. It was fairly small and he could hide it by hugging it to his chest, but it contained all he needed for every night of his life. He opened it and felt around. Alcoholic wipes his best friend had got for him, clean linen from trading with that merchant down their street, the ointment that that friendly priestess had given him after he had sold her some items she had desperately needed at a lower price.

He shut the box with a small snap and made his way to the door. As he opened the door, there was another crash. Amaru stopped. His heart caught in his throat.

He stood at his door for a while, listening. There was a door slamming in the distance, and then silence, apart from the desert wind. Amaru moved out onto the landing and peered through the banister. The room downstairs was empty. True, there was a broken chair lying in the middle of it, but it was devoid of anyone.

Amaru made his way down, clutching the handle of the box in his hands. He had to look for her, as was usual every night, and he had to do it fast.

He found her in a corner of the kitchen, trembling and with her eyes shut. Amaru set the box down on the floor and reached out. When his fingers touched her pale skin she jumped a little, and opened her eyes. In the moonlight they were wide open, with the frightened look of a cornered animal.

"It's okay," he whispered. "It's okay."

He opened the box and set to work. She watched him, still trembling, her eyes watching him anxiously. It was easier to work with the light from the moon. He touched her again, and this time she did not jump.

He cleaned, treated and bandaged her many wounds, his hands working deftly over her body. Her breasts, her stomach, her arms...he had seen them before, countless times. There was nothing to be ashamed of, not at a time like this. He had a job to do.

At the same time he kept glancing over his shoulder, back at the living room, his hands working quickly. He would get into trouble if he did not finish quickly, and he did not want to get caught either.

Finally he was done. He reached out to her.

"It's cold here," he whispered. "You can't stay here. Let's go."

She took his hands and he got her to her feet. Slowly, because she was limping, he got to her small room just off from the living room and helped her onto her bed.

"I got to go now," he mumbled. "I don't want any more trouble."

"A-Amaru..."

He turned back. Tears were running down her cheeks. She took him by the wrist and pulled him into her arms. He felt her stroking his hair.

"You're a good boy," she whispered, her voice trembling. "You're a good boy, Amaru."

"It's okay, ma," he mumbled. "It'll be okay. Everything will be okay. I'm here."

* * *

Amaru pulled off his bandana and wiped the sweat off his face. The Morroc sun beat down mercilessly on him, but he didn't have a choice. He had thought of moving into the shade of houses, but it would cost him his customers. It was something he had learned from the Merchants' Guild in Alberta. Ever since he had joined them they had made his life a lot easier.

A shadow fell across his wares. He looked up, squinting slightly in the light.

"Yo, Maru, howdja find them wipes?" asked the figure.

"They were fine," he answered. "Thanks. Could you move aside, Zeph? People need to see me. And is it okay if you can get more for me?"

"I dunno why you need them, it's not like you wanna become a priest." The thief dropped to the ground beside him. "I can't understand how you can stand this sun. I'd go ravin' mad by the end of the day."

"You get used to it, eventually," said Amaru. "It's something you can't avoid. Can you get more for me, Zeph? I really need them."

"Yeah, okay," said Zeph. "But I still can't figure out why you need them. My ma thinks I've got some loot I can't show her, and she keeps pesterin' me about them."

"I'm sorry, Zeph, but I really need them."

"'Course, you could tell me what you need them for..." Zeph's voice trailed off hopefully.

Amaru shook his head. "You don't need to know. It's best if you don't."

"Aw, man," said Zeph, but he was abruptly cut off by the appearance of a swordswoman. She looked through his wares.

"How much is that?" she asked, pointing to a small red ribbon meant only for pet lunatics.

"Thirty zeny."

"Whoa, you sell that low?" said Zeph, watching in astonishment as money changed hands. "I mean, that's gotta be the lowest around here! I thought you've got some kind of quota to satisfy."

"It's called business, Zeph," said Amaru. "Although I have to be forced to cut profits, I need the money. Anyway, my quota isn't that high, and my guild understands that."

"You're a strange merchant," said the thief. "I mean, everyone here sells for profit, 'cept you. It's like you don't actually care about the business."

"Go and pick some pockets, Zeph, you've got your own quota to see to."

But Zeph's words had a grain of truth in them, he admitted later. He only traded so that he could get the money to buy what he needed, and whatever he needed was not for himself. He had nothing he wanted that could be bought with money. Although it was not what merchants did, he was forced to, and he had got used to it by now.

For the rest of the day he sat next to his stall and waited for his customers, not taking a break except at noon, when it got too hot to sit outside and he got hungry. Despite the time he spent in the sun he remained pale, although he had a feeling his reddish-brown hair had been a result of overexposure to heat.

When Amaru returned home the first thing that greeted him as he stepped through the door was a delicious smell wafting from the kitchen. It had been a long time since he had eaten a good, solid meal. He dropped his bag on the floor and headed straight for the kitchen.

His mother was there. She smiled wanly at him as he came in.

"It's almost ready. If you want some you should hang up your bag."

"Amaru went back and did so a little grudgingly, but he couldn't say grumpy for long. It had been a long time when his mother had smiled, and he felt happier when she did.

He got back to the kitchen. His mother set a bowl of peco casserole down on the table, and his mouth watered at the scent. He sat down and began to tuck in. She sat down next to him and had a slightly smaller share before watching him gobble it down hungrily.

"Could I have more, please?" he said, with his mouth full, holding out his bowl.

"I can't hear you," she said, smiling.

Amaru swallowed and repeated his question. She took the bowl from him and ladled out a second helping.

"That's it, though," she said, as she put it down in front of him. "The rest of it is for him."

Amaru nodded, and began to spoon gravy into his mouth quickly. He had learned to eat whatever was put down in front of him, and quickly, too.

When he had finished he hopped off the chair and took the bowl from the table. He pushed it beside the large wooden basin before washing it up. Then he dried it and placed it in the small rack next to the basin. His mother watched him fondly from the table.

"How are your problems?" he asked her, looking up at her.

"They're fine," she answered, her eyes gazing at him.

'Problems' was what Amaru called her wounds. They didn't want to address them directly. Amaru didn't want to cause any more pain, and his mother didn't want to cause any more distress.

She was reading to him that night when they heard the front door slam. She quickly leapt off the bed and went out of his room. Amaru picked up the book and hugged it close to him, listening intently.

There was no sound from downstairs, not even when he had extinguished his oil lamp and snuggled down in bed. Maybe he had liked the dinner. Maybe it was going to be okay, after all...

There was a crash from downstairs, and there was shouting. Amaru sat bolt upright, tears filling his eyes.

"Ma," he said. "No..."

* * *

That was how Amaru lived. Every day he would wander across the city, selling his wares in order to buy medicine. Every night he would see to his mother. In his life he did not remember any day that he had gone to sleep happy and woken up the same. It was always the same, dreading for her and only wanting to help ease the pain. He didn't care about himself. She mattered more to him than anything else in the world.

That was why he looked underfed, small and haggard. Compared to Zeph he looked more of a beggar child than anything else. He was stick thin and always with a sickly complexion, as well as shadows under his eyes.

Sometimes people felt sorry for him. They gave him things like clothes and food. Amaru had been initially surprised at this, but he had grown used to it. It was better than nothing. He was grateful to these people, and knew he could not thank them enough.

In times like this, he had Zeph for company. They had been friends the day they had entered the Novice Grounds. However, he could not tell Zeph what he was going through, partially because he thought the thief would not understand, but mostly because of his father.

"If you tell anyone," his father had said, in a low, menacing voice that was worse than shouting, "I'll kill both of you."

He hated being bullied. He hated it that his fear of death was keeping him from letting people help them. But what could he do? He was only eleven. He was scared of death, and he did not want to lose his mother. She cared for him, and he loved her for it.

He had nowhere else to go, nothing he could do.

Sometimes he would come home, and his father would be standing over her with the stick. His father would turn on him, and shout at him - there didn't have to be a reason why. And then his father would lift the stick, and his mother would throw herself in front of him and--

Whenever Amaru thought of this his brain shut down. It was what he called his 'escape time'. It was these blissful moments, apart from sleep, when there would be no pain and no suffering, and he would feel at peace with himself.

And then one day, when he returned home, he found his father standing over his mother with a bloodstained knife. She was lying in a spreading pool of blood. His bag slid off his shoulder and landed on the floor with a thump, but he heard and felt nothing. All he saw was his mother.

She had reached out for him, her trembling hand dripping with blood.

"A-Amaru..."

He had wanted to take her hand, to take her away. But even as he thought, she shuddered.

"A-Amaru..."

The light in her eyes had died. He had looked up into his father's face, seen nothing but the blood-spattered grin, and then he had run.

Shimmering tears flew out behind him as he ran through the deserted streets, the moonlight lighting his path. His vision was blurred; his sobs racked the night air. His mother was gone. What did he have to be afraid of now? She had gone, why couldn't he go as well? He wanted to be with her. He didn't care about death now. The horrible pain that had ripped through his heart was tearing at it, again and again. He wanted it to end.

Without a moment's hesitation he had made his way to the oasis in the middle of Morroc and waded into it straight away. All he could think of was her, waiting for him.

He had let the water pull him down, darkness enveloping him, the coldness of the water matching the coldness in his heart. He remembered closing his eyes as he sank, the light of the moon disappearing from his sight...

And then hands had grabbed him and pulled him away, away from death's grasp and whatever the water had in its depths, bringing him back to the light, the air, and the pain.

He had not understood. Why had he been saved? He wanted to die, to shut off the pain in him. Most of all, he wanted to be with his mother, where they would be together forever and they would always be happy. And they would smile forever, because there was nothing to be afraid of, nothing to hurt them any more.

"Why did you save me?"

The thief who had saved him had answered, "I don't know. There's so much to live for and see in this world."

He had burst into tears. "I don't have anything to live for!"

But as Amaru sobbed into his shoulder, he felt slightly better. There was someone out there who cared.

* * *

When he had managed to steady himself the thief helped him to his feet.

"My name's Khan," he said. "What's yours?"

Amaru sniffed a little. "Amaru."

"Okay, Amaru, let's go. I'll take you back to my house. Mom and Dad won't mind."

Although Amaru protested Khan dragged him off anyway, to a house near the outskirts of Morroc. Still dripping from their momentary soak in the oasis, he had knocked on the door, which immediately opened, letting out a ray of light from inside. A woman stepped out.

"Khan, where have you been?" she exclaimed. "Out on your thieving night again? I was so worried-- oh..."

"Hi, Mom," said the thief cheerfully. "Could we come in? We're soaked to the skin, and it's freezing out here."

The woman let them in. Khan pulled Amaru into the house. The merchant immediately felt warmth caress his skin, but he was distracted by the trail of water he was leaving behind. He had to go and clean it up, maybe tomorrow.

The house was not large, but it was beautiful. The interior took Amaru's breath away, but not as much as the woman who was Khan's mother. Although it was obvious age was catching up with her, she still looked elegant and graceful.

"Why are both of you wet?" she asked.

"Long story, Mom." Khan pointed to Amaru, who was shivering. "This is Amaru. Had to save him."

Khan's mother had looked at Amaru. The merchant shrank behind Khan, scared.

"Well, Khan, get those clothes off," she said, looking back at her son. "You, too. You'll be catching colds if you don't."

Amaru shook his head and tried to back away, but she had caught his wrist. Her firm, but gentle, grip had made him hesitate.

"Don't worry," she said. "It's okay. I'm used to this sort of thing, and anyway having Khan is like having two boys in the house already, so I'm used to it. He doesn't look it, but he's a right little monkey when he wants to be there."

"Mom! You didn't have to tell him that--"

"What's all this ruckus about?"

They looked up. There was a man standing at the bottom of the staircase. Unlike most men Amaru had seen, he was slender and yet tall.

"I've got a mission to do early next morning," he said. "Can't sleep with all this, though."

"Khan's just come back with someone, and they're both soaking wet," she explained. "I'm just trying to get him to get his clothes off..."

"Who?"

She pointed. Amaru flinched when the man looked at him.

"He'll be fine, Isabelle. I'll take over, so that you can deal with Khan."

"Aw, Dad," said Khan.

"Khan, do it," his mother said. "You know when your father uses my full name he means business. Come, Amaru."

The merchant shook his head, but Khan's father took him by the shoulder.

"He's scared out of his wits, that's all," he said. "It'll be okay, son. Let's go upstairs, we can't change your clothes here."

Amaru reluctantly let himself be propelled up the stairs, and was led into a room.

"Wait here," said the man. "I'll be back."

He came back shortly, holding a towel and some dry clothes. Amaru was smothered in towel for a few minutes before he changed.

"What were you doing out there, son?" the man asked gently. "It's freezing outside, and the oasis is deep. A spot of midnight bathing?"

Maybe it was the man's voice. Maybe it was the way he treated Amaru like a son. Everything simply burst out of him, and by the time he had finished he was sobbing, but trying to stop himself at the same time.

"It'll be okay, son," said Khan's father. "Don't stop crying. There's nothing wrong with it. Get it over with, that's what I always say. I'll take you to a room where you can rest."

"But my pa--"

"Your pa will be hard put to try and get into our house, that's what I can say," said the man.

Amaru had not understood, but he could tell Khan's father meant it. He let himself be carried to another room.

He got into bed and pulled up the sheets around him. He could not remove the images still in his mind, and he was still shaking. He started to cry, and cried himself to sleep.

At the doorway, Khan's parents watched in silence as he cried.

* * *

Amaru opened his eyes next morning to see Khan bending over him.

"Heya, Amaru," said the thief. "You okay? You were crying in your sleep."

The merchant felt heat rush to his face. "Yeah, I'm okay."

Khan's face broke into a smile. "It'll be fine, 'kay? I got to go and steal some money. See you!"

He ran out. Amaru sat up just in time to see Khan's mother enter the room with a tray of food.

"Good morning, Amaru," she said, setting it down on the table next to his bed. "How are you?"

"I'm okay," he mumbled, still blushing.

She sat down on his bed next to him. "Ethir - that's my husband - told me everything last night."

Amaru looked at her and was surprised to see tears in her eyes. Why was she crying? It was not her mother who had died.

"In my opinion I don't think it's fair for a child to lose their mother," she said quietly. "That's why I don't go on missions as much as Ethir does, unless it's important."

"But I can't stay here!" Amaru burst out. "I don't want to be--"

"--a burden to us?" she said. "You won't be a burden to us, Amaru. Khan needs a friend, and we have space on our house, and in our family, for another. As for the water you left behind last night, it's okay. We're used to it, thanks to Khan."

Amaru had looked up at her, and then he understood.

"Thank you," he said softly.

* * *

Valkron hd not interrupted Amaru throughout the whole story. As the blacksmith stared into the fire, he said, "Did your father actually find out, later on?"

"Yes," said Amaru, looking at him. "I was seen with Khan, and news got around. When my father heard he went to Khan's house, but he got more than he bargained for."

Now Valkron understood why Khan had seen his father return home, covered in blood that was not his. Amaru's father had gone for the house, but Ethir - an accomplished, high-ranking assassin - had fought him, and won.

"He didn't kill my father, however. Turning him in to the Morroc authorities was enough. They found what remained of my mother's body in our backyard. I was there when they gave her a proper burial, at a proper funeral. I was there when he was executed, sentenced to death by decapitation."

_Just as you remembered and faced your past_, thought Valkron. Aloud, he said, "I'm surprised you can tell me all this without breaking down, and without a cigarette."

"I'm used to it," said Amaru. "I'll never forget it, but I'm glad Khan saved me. It took a long time, but whatever happened he was there, and he helped me recover. I can never repay him."

"What happened to Zeph?"

Amaru's voice grew cold. "If there was something my father did before he came for me, it was killing Zeph."

There was silence as the two men stared into the fire. Then Amaru said, "And I have you to thank, too."

"Why?" asked Valkron, mystified.

"Because you let us stay," answered the blacksmith quietly. "You didn't just make this a guild, you made this into a second home. For people like me, this place is now my second family. I feel like I truly belong here." He looked Valkron in the eye. "It has meant a lot to me."

Valkron looked into Amaru's deep aquamarine blue eyes, and knew he would never think of Amaru the same again. "No, Amaru," he said, equally quietly. "I should be thanking you."

The blacksmith looked taken aback. "Why?"

"Because you're treating me like a human. You came to see me, to trust me with your life. Back then, four months ago, you didn't."

"Even though I didn't you still saved my life."

"Samaroh had the idea."

"It was Samaroh's idea, but it was your decision that you let him do it. It all starts with you, Valkron, and it should end with you."

"Believe me, Amaru," said the knight, "I'm not all that wonderful. Thank you."

--

The loss of my pendrive had _nothing_ to do with this.

Yes, I know there were quite a lot of emotions involved in this. I don't care if you flame me for putting so much emo crap in this chapter. All I can tell you is I've felt most of the emotions in this chapter, and it's not from a silly break-up (remember that I have been 100 single) or from losing a loved one, but from...something else I don't talk about.


	31. Other Worlds

Chapter 31 (rewrite)

**Other Worlds**

Valkron still remembered Amaru's story, even after he awoke the next day. He lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, as he imagined every little detail from Amaru. The blacksmith had told it without any expression, from beginning to end.

He doubted he could do that with his own life. He knew there were still some scars that would never heal.

Valkron sat up and passed his hand over his face. He wasn't bothered about Amaru's story. It was over. The blacksmith had told him what he needed to know.

What he was _really_ worried about was that he had a large pile of things he hadn't done, and it was starting to teeter, threatening to overwhelm him if he didn't start on them. He had to talk to Emeth and not get angry with him. He had to finish writing whatever he had to do in his office. He had to deal with the new politics that had recently surfaced. He had to do the planning for the War of Emperium when it resumed, including the new roles of Kumahar and Kala, and Zak and Silas. He had to discuss guild matters with Adiemus and Raven.

Valkron buried his face in his hands and sighed. Maybe he really was too old for the guild business. Apart from Raven and Adiemus, who were older than him, everyone else was young and energetic, and they had a major advantage over the old guild leaders.

Suddenly he remembered that he had to talk to Aramithar about the guild. He had to deal with the 'waiting list' Emeth had set up. He had to work out how he was going to help Emeth with Kushana.

Iruna was passing his room when she heard a badly muffled scream through his door. She hesitated, and looked around before approaching his door.

"Valkron?"

After a few minutes, he answered. "Yes?"

"Are you all right in there?"

"Yes, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure I'm all right."

The crusader gave his door a worried look, but it was evident she respected his privacy. She headed off.

Valkron waited until he had heard her footsteps fade away before burying his face into his pillow again, this time making sure it was properly covering his face. However, the second scream had, by now, dwindled to the point where, when it came out, it sounded more like "Umfk!"

Then, feeling slightly light-headed, Valkron got out of bed and went to take a shower.

He came down wearing only his merchant's clothes, and his hair slicked down again. Iruna, who was getting ready to leave for Juno, looked worriedly at him. He caught the look.

"Good morning, Iruna," he said, walking over to her.

"I'm sure you screamed," she said.

Valkron smiled half-heartedly at her. "Well, I have a lot of things to do, and I need to get them done fairly quickly. It was just a lot of frustration."

"I think I heard that, too," she said. "Look, Valkron, you should rest for a while. You've been busy these past few days, and you looked so pressurised and tired. I know things have been hard on you, what with Emeth and now this guild business, but you should get away from it."

"Not that easy now, is it?" he said. "How does my lip look like?"

"It's okay now, but don't change the subject," she replied. "You have a life. You are human. Stop doing so much, or we'll have you fainting on the floor."

Valkron pulled her to him. "I know. That's why I'm not going to the Chivalry today."

She looked at him in surprise. "Where are you going, then?"

"I'm going to a little place I know where I used to go when I wanted to forget about things for a while," said Valkron. "Don't worry about me, Iruna. You have work today, don't you?"

"Yes, but--"

"I'm going to the Prontera Library." The knight kissed her on the cheek. "See you tonight, Iruna."

* * *

By default, according to the laws of the universe, every building that is built must be as large as its walls permitted it to.

However, this often does not count for libraries. The sheer power of the rows and rows of billions of words is often underestimated, and libraries are, in fact, a lot larger than people observe.

This was especially true for the Prontera Library, situated somewhere north of the capital city. Although it looked like a harmless, nondescript building from any angle and any point of view, it still felt amazingly large to Valkron. It was as if the time he discovered the library when he was small had never changed.

He opened the door and walked in. The librarian's desk was at the opposite wall, in front of the rows of tables. Behind this reading area was the treasure of the kingdom - the books.

The musty smell did not deter him from wandering around the oldest shelves, looking for guild records. The place felt as if it was underwater. Every sound was muted and the place was full of dust. From the windows high up shone rays of light, in which glittering dust motes danced and whirled as he passed through them. As he walked along the shelves, the tips of his fingers lightly brushed the spines of the dusty, untouched books. Sometimes he would lovingly run a finger down the spine of a thick book, or trace the words on the covers.

Most people thought knights were all brawn and no brains. They would have changed their minds if they had seen Valkron or the Information Department.

After a while Valkron gave up on guild records. They seemed to force reality on him every time he looked through them. He was tired of reality.

He found the history section and located a few good books on the history of Rune-Midgard. The knight did not bother to take the books to the tables, but simply stood at the shelves and skimmed through the books, his eyes hungrily taking in the knowledge that had been written in them. Besides, this was the place that had kept a certain book that had helped them during the time of the Dark Portal. It did not hurt to learn more.

Valkron was reading through a knight's account of the Old Empire's defence systems when he happened to glance up. His eyes locked on a small blue book squashed between two much thicker tomes. Keeping his eyes on it, he shut the book he was reading and slid it back into its place before taking out the blue book.

It was very dusty. Valkron sneezed as he brushed the dust off the cover, in an attempt to read the title. The words on the spine of the book had long faded.

The book was bound in leather, and the pages were thin and fragile. The title was in runes, not in the new language Rune-Midgard now used. Although Valkron had been educated in the usage of the new language he had taken the pain to learn Runic as well.

The title read _Before the Dawn_.

Valkron raised his eyebrows. There was no indication of an author, nor was there any printer's stamp or writer's signature.

He opened the book. The first page had the title, again in Runic, but this time below it was a rough sketch of half a face. It was a man's face, framed by long hair that spilled over his shoulders. Valkron observed the thin, high-bridged nose, the sharp features of the chin and the face, the closed eyes that seemed to denote the man was in deep thought.

Beneath the messy sketch, in what appeared to be scrawly handwriting, was the name _Rau'den_.

There were other scrawly bits of handwriting under the name, but they were too messy to read. Valkron turned the page.

The second page had a foreword, also written in Runic. Valkron read through it. Most of it was about the history of the world, but it was the last few paragraphs that caught his interest:

_The following pages are dedicated to the stories and the lives of the eight men and women who brought light to the world during the Dark Ages. During the much feared time when demons roamed the world freely, they were the ones who showed that the human race should not be taken lightly._

_Of their many virtues, their most noted trait was their inner strength. Most of them have suffered at least once in their lives, but they did not give up. They continued to live, and live they did._

_The Eight,as they are known, are not mentioned in history books around this time. Therefore this book covers them in detail, with accurate historical accounts of their appearances and deeds, with the reason of acknowledging that these great heroes did live and are not legend, as many other books claim them to be._

Valkron went over to one of the tables and sat down, turning the pages. He skipped the table of contents, only taking note of the last item on the list, which read _The Ninth: History or Legend?_

The first page after that had an illustration of a man standing atop a hill, occupying most of the page. The artist had drawn it so as to depict a strong wind blowing around him. He was wearing a wolfskin cloak, which hid most of his body from view. The artist had also captured a determined, thoughtful look in the man's eyes, even though his face was partially covered by his shoulder-length hair.

Valkron recognised it to be the man from the first page. Below the drawing were runic words.

_RAU'DEN_

_The Heathen Knight_

He sat upright in his seat and began to read, sinking into another world.

* * *

Most people knew that Vineis lived in Gondul when he was not visiting the castles the Black Cross owned. They also knew that he oversaw a system where senior guild members controlled one castle of their choice, him included.

One of the most common misconceptions that people assumed afterwards was that Sheuth probably had his own castle as well, since he was known to the general public as Vineis' right-hand man. The rogue was capable enough to be the wizard's assistant, so he had to be one of the efficient fighters of the Black Cross as well, wasn't he?

Most of them did not know that although Sheuth was indeed an excellent fighter he did _not_ own a castle, the reason being he stayed with Vineis every time, moving about wherever the wizard went.

The rogue disliked Gondul. It was where Vineis had started his guild.

It was also where Sheuth had begun a life he hated.

The rogue was in the room he had been allocated. Since Vineis stayed in Gondul often - and now with Alya, much to Sheuth's disgust - he had placed many of his own belongings in the room, thus making it his from the day he had moved in. He was now standing at the window, gazing out at the beautiful scenery that formed much of the north.

The window was useful. He could stand there to eavesdrop on people below in the gardens of Gondul, and no one would ever notice him.

Today Vineis and Alya were in the gardens. Their voices floated up to Sheuth, as clear as they would have been, as if they were standing right next to him.

"I can't believe these roses are so huge," came Alya's voice. Sheuth leaned over the windowsill to see the sage taking a look at the bushes below. "Did you use magic to enchant them?"

"No, I grew them myself," replied Vineis, who was watching her.

"For me?"

"Well...you would know if I'd used magic, and that wouldn't be fair. Besides, I wanted to know if I could do it by hand, and so I did."

"Oh, you are such a dear!" Alya threw her arms around Vineis' neck and buried her face into his chest; the wizard staggered a little, but recovered and put his arms around her.

They stayed that way for a few minutes. Then Alya said, her voice slightly muffled, "I don't know why people see you as cruel. You're ambitious, but so is everyone else out on the guild front."

"Including you, I imagine," said Vineis.

The sage looked up into Vineis' face. "You're joking, aren't you?"

"You're pretty ambitious yourself," said the wizard. "Why did you go after Apocalypse Ultima? Your father and Raven are good friends with the priest."

"I needed that extra castle," replied Alya sweetly. "I have my members stationed in Payon, and I needed a nearby base."

"You could have taken Bamboo Grove Hill," said Vineis. His tone was still the same - quiet and flat.

"No, I wouldn't have dared."

Vineis looked over the top of her head. "It doesn't matter what people think of me. I have no ill will against them. They have not wronged me; why should I act against them? I am simply doing what my job entails me to do."

"I still wish people did not see you the way you behave towards them."

"Why are we talking about this?" asked Vineis suddenly. "We're here to enjoy ourselves, not to talk about work."

Alya laughed, and laid her head against his chest again. "You're right, Vineis. I've been waiting for this for so long, and now..."

"...it's happening," he finished her sentence for her as he held her close.

Sheuth turned away from the window. His face showed no expression. Most of the people he had met described him as a cat - emotionless, unblinking and passive. However, this did not mean he did not have emotions. Like most people who surpressed their expressions, he had emotions that went to their extremes.

Right now, he was seething.

He looked around his room. Occupied as it were, it had no warmth to it. He had never liked his room.

Vineis had to pay. That was the only thing he intended. The wizard had forced him into a life of servitude when it had been Sheuth himself who had suggested everything. The rogue did not really mind, but the way Vineis treated him was unbearable, in his opinion.

He decided to leave the room; it had too many horrible memories that he did not want.

He was halfway across when he noticed, atop the mantelpiece in his room, a framed imp painting. Sheuth hesitated before walking over to it.

He did not take it off the mantelpiece, but simply gazed into it. Behind the glass frame were four people, all smiling and waving at the painter's imp. There was a younger version of Sheuth, with hair that wasn't as long as it was now, and he looked less scarred. Sheuth felt his rage calm down a little as he stared expressionlessly at the other two people behind him. His parents, the people who had really cared for him.

Standing to the side, looking quite at peace with himself, was a younger version of Vineis. He had probably been ten years old when the painting had been done. Sheuth narrowed his eyes at the sight of him. Vineis had taken away everything that had been rightfully his, and he had been left with nothing.

The rogue turned away from the painting. He would have torn the part with Vineis, but for the sake of his parents...

Sheuth crossed the floor to the door, thinking. And in his mind an idea formed.

There was a way to make Vineis pay. He would make sure of it.

He smiled as he left the room. It was not a pleasant smile.

* * *

Lucius opened his eyes a little. Nothing happened, so he opened them further until he could see everything around him.

He was used to his usual bouts of unexpected pain, although no man - and certainly no priest - had ever managed to tell him what was wrong. Although he was used to his body aching and his head throbbing when he woke up, he was surprised that apart from being incredibly tired he did not feel any pain.

David's head came into his sight, above him. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," replied the assassin. "What happened?"

"Well, Sedir said you had a whole-body spasm--"

"David, that's not what I said."

"That's what it sounded like," countered the blacksmith, looking up at someone who was out of Lucius' sight range. "You can go and explain to him better, you've got a better vocabulary, haven't you?" He looked back down at the assassin. "I got you to your bed and Sedir came in time. You sure you're all right? You were thrashing about in bed before he managed to calm you down."

"Yes, I am fine," said Lucius, smiling wearily. "Although I would love to spend another few hours asleep. Let me talk to Sedir."

The blacksmith moved away respectfully, and was replaced by Sedir. The priest's black robes blended so well with the shadows in the room that all Lucius saw at first were his pale face, his grey hair and his pearly grey eyes. He always brushed his fringe out of his face, because if he didn't he would be seeing out of one eye only.

"What is the current situation?" he asked the priest.

"Not good," replied Sedir, his pearly eyes blinking. "Your condition was critical this time. It was fortunate that I was in the same castle as you. I got to you just in time; any later and your condition would have progressed to severe."

"Are you sure?"

"I am very sure."

Lucius felt worried. The only man who had been able to treat him was Sedir. All the other priests he had gone to had not een able to help. Not even the alchemists, who studied human anatomy like the priests, could figure out what was wrong with him. Only Sedir's magic worked.

And even then Sedir was unable to cure him of the condition he had now.

"I've been looking up hundreds of books to try and find out your illness," continued the priest, "but none of them have had an account of such a case like yours. Maybe it is not treatable by magic."

"Nonsense," replied Lucius. "There is nothing in this world that cannot be cured by magic. Why would we be using magic to heal, then?"

Sedir shrugged. "Lucius, you yourself have no idea how it came about."

"All I know is that it began when I was small." Lucius' voice was bitter. "My parents thought I was possessed, and abandoned me. The Thieves' Guild and then the Assassins' Guild hired priests to cleanse me. That was how I found out it is a physical condition. And now you are telling me it cannot be cured by magic?"

"Certainly not the magic we use," said Sedir, giving him a look.

Lucius kept quiet. When Sedir brought this up he knew the priest was challenging him to suggest the opposite. Although the assassin did not give in easily he was wise enough not to argue with someone who had a magical education.

"Has there been any news?" he asked wearily, and Sedir knew that Lucius had conceded defeat. The priest withdrew into the shadows until nothing but his eyes were visible.

"Well, yeah." David came forward. "Alya is staying with Vineis in Gondul, for today. She's not going back to Nuernberg or Bright Arbor."

"Have you set up the plans?"

"They're already in action. I've got Naobi and Reita patrolling the corridors of Gondul with their respective troops. They're not happy, but they've agreed to do it."

"That's good." Lucius hesitated, then asked, "Anything else?"

"Um...well..." David distractedly glanced up at the pair of eyes that were still visible. They were calmly blinking at him. Sedir could be annoying when he wanted to.

"Yes?"

The blacksmith focused on Lucius, determined to concentrate. "We've had bad news. Kuroihi was found slumped at the base of a wall in Fadhgrindh, with a deep gash in his side and blood everywhere. He's doing fine now, from what Sedir's told me, but it'll be a while before he can walk again."

"Any ideas on what happened?" asked Lucius.

"We think a monster attacked him, and he warped right after he sustained an injury. He's still unconscious, as of this moment, so we're not too sure what exactly happened."

"It could have been an attempted murder."

David gaped at Lucius.

"Get Inigo to keep an eye on him. The more he stays in the Chivalry, the less chance anyone would be able to try anything on him. I do not know why Kuroihi would become a potential target, but keep him safe anyway. He is one of the senior guild members needed to keep the plan safe."

"Got it."

Lucius sank back into his pillow. "And keep an eye out, whatever you do. For the sake of our guild."

--

Confused about Vineis and Sheuth?

Good news: so am I. oO

By the way, I forgot to describe Sheuth properly. He has a somewhat dishevelled look, with long hair that spills over his shoulders, and (as all rogues are wont to have in this story grin) a scarred face. I have the artwork somewhere about me, and yes, I still think he looks a bit like a tomcat.


	32. Plans

* * *

Chapter 32 (rewrite)

**Plans**

Even after taking a day off Valkron still did not feel settled. He returned to the Chivalry, this time shaved and looking much better, to have a chat with Enriel and Sagna, before returning to work in his office. By 'work', it was the box that was still sitting in his room. Valkron was sure it was starting to give him a look when he had his back turned to it.

By afternoon he felt as if someone had been straining the life out of him. True, it was something that had to be done, but Valkron felt so depressed that, by the time he had finished writing the letter he had put off, he felt tired, sick and grey. There was still one more letter he had to write, but this time he firmly put his foot down. The box could give him all the looks it liked. His mind felt injured.

Valkron made his way back to Repherion. Since it was still afternoon most of the guild members were out doing their work. He nodded to Nocturne as he entered the gates of Repherion. The hunter was sitting with his legs hanging over the battlements, keeping an eye out for monsters. From where he was he could see Kushana standing on the battlements of Merseitzdeitz, surveying the land below as her falcon, Isaac, wheeled in the skies far above her.

He wandered into the meeting room. No one was there, apart from Kumahar. He wasn't surprised. Even the two children they had in their guild were off - Khan was busy teaching Kyo, and Niki-Haru was at her classes in the Academy.

The bard was tapping on his guitar quietly, as if listening to some beat only he could hear. Valkron avoided him, with as much respect as he had for the wizards, and sat down on the other side of the table. He turned away from the fire and closed his eyes. It had been a long week, and it wasn't over yet.

After a while someone tapped him lightly on the shoulder. By the politeness of it, it was probably Kumahar.

Valkron opened his eyes and smiled to himself. It _was_ the bard.

"Am I disturbing you?" the bard asked.

"No. I'm just taking a rest." Valkron sat up in his seat. "Is there anything wrong?"

"I let the rest of the guild listen to the song," he replied.

"How did they take to it?"

"Oh, fine. Just like how everyone else reacted to it when I first sang it. Why is it not victorious, why is it so depressing, yak yak yakkity yak..."

"_What?_"

"It's just the description of a generalised sound for a lot of people talking," said Kumahar.

"Oh." Valkron gave him a look. "Kumahar, why are you in this guild, anyway?"

"Because you invited me to."

"Yes, but you could have turned down my request."

The bard contemplated this for a while. Then he said, "I have my reasons."

"Mind telling me what they are?"

Kumahar shrugged. "What do _you_ think about me?"

"I know that you are an accomplished, talented teacher of the Kingdom's Musicians, and you're someone which this guild doesn't deserve," said the knight.

To his surprise, Kumahar clapped. "Impressive. You observe a lot more than I thought you would...well, I think as a knight you have to. Well, I think that your guild _does_ deserve a person like me."

"In what way?"

"You are a guild that is strong in moral and belief," said the bard, simply.

"That's _it_?"

"That is my opinion, no matter which way you look at it. I sing only for a guild that is so." The bard primly tuned his guitar, while Valkron gaped at him. "By the way, you are right about the accomplished, talented bit. I don't brag about myself, but I do acknowledge that I am somewhat more gifted than other bards of my age. However, I'm not a teacher, and I am not a member of the Kingdom's Musicians."

"What?" said Valkron, taken aback by this. "Why?"

For the first time since Kumahar had joined the guild the bard looked sad. "Because I am gifted."

"Wait, that doesn't mean--"

"Yes, it does." Kumahar sighed. "The Kingdom's Musicians, like every other guild, wants to be the best. By having me in their ranks they would have become the best, easily enough. However, I don't allow that. Life is not meant to be easy."

Valkron stared at the bard, with his almost-white blond hair and deep amethyst eyes.

"And is that another reason why you stayed with Silas and Zak?" he asked quietly. "For protection?"

"Yes. They don't forget anyone who has helped them."

"And you can stand their constant arguing?"

"Despite appearances - which I know can be very deceiving, in the case of those two - Zak and Silas are best friends. Zak is from Comodo, and was an orphan living on the streets when he tried to steal from Silas' father. Instead of reprimanding him Silas' family decided to take him in, since Silas is an only child, and his mother could no longer conceive. They have lived together in Morroc ever since."

"But you could get injured!"

"They don't mean any of their threats." Kumahar smiled wryly. "Unless they're fighting people who have wronged them in the past."

"I still don't see why you choose to stay with us," said Valkron. "If the Kingdom's Musicians find out you're here, they'll come after you like a shot."

"Yes, true. They do that most of the time. However, they do not dare approach _you_, Valkron."

The knight blinked. Then he said, "This has got something to do with me being the strict, sarcastic knight I am, isn't it?"

"Yes," said Kumahar, grinning.

Valkron buried his face in his hands.

"The other reason why I chose this guild is because I am on the run from another guild."

Valkron looked up. "Why? And what guild is that?"

"For the same reason I am hiding from the Kingdom's Musicians - because I am gifted. The guild I used to belong to is the same as Aramithar's, by the way." Kumahar winked. "You should ask him the name, since I am superstitious and I believe that saying the names of my enemies will enable them to find me."

The knight tried not to roll his eyes, with some difficulty. "Okay, I'm letting that pass."

Kumahar got to his feet. "I don't let people know everything about me in one day. I let them find out for themselves, naturally, and I ask you to do the same. Good luck, Valkron, and may the power of words that you so believe in give you the strength to fight back."

Valkron was left, somewhat bewildered, alone in the room.

* * *

Vineis had not gone around to any of the castles the previous day, so Sheuth was still in his room. However, it was a good thing he was in there. He was simmering, which is the same as stewing except a lot more dangerous.

He couldn't believe it! He had just seen Alya leave Vineis' room this morning! If she got any closer to him he would not be able to make Vineis pay!

He knew Alya. Unlike most of the women he had met the sage was ambitious, rebellious and ready to take on challenges. It was what made her so famous amongst the guild leaders. The Seven Eyes had a touch of her in the way it worked - it was flexible and well organised, even when not in battle.

She was influential, and independent. Many girls used her as a role model. Sheuth remembered that after a particularly difficult War of Emperium session between the Legionnaires and the Seven Eyes, in which the Seven Eyes won by three minutes, the leader of the Legionnaires guild had famously knelt down in front of her and proposed to her. She had replied by swiftly breaking his nose.

But why Vineis, of all the men in the world? Sheuth massaged his head, trying to figure out if the wizard had any good qualities that Alya would have liked. The leader of the Legionnaires had been good enough.

The rogue gave up, eventually. But his mind was presenting to him a new idea, an even better idea. An idea that would make Vineis suffer.

But first, there always had to be a starting phase.

Rogues are known for their cunning minds. It was one of the qualities the Brotherhood looked for in young thieves. One of the Brotherhood's main aims was to train this shrewdness into using it for the good of the kingdom.

And Sheuth had an idea he could use for the good of the kingdom.

He left his room and walked down the corridors of of Gondul, still thinking. The castle was deserted; after the War of Emperium had been cancelled not many guild members had returned. Some did, but only for the purpose of checking up on their work.

He was striding along a corridor when he realised that someone was coming up the passage in the opposite direction. It was not easy to see in the light that came from the windows along the side, but the green hair was very obvious.

They stopped about a foot apart.

"Greetings, Naobi," said Sheuth.

The monk inclined his head slightly. He was not wearing his sakkhat today. "Good day, Sheuth," he said, in his soft, hissing voice.

"Are you busy today?"

"No. I am returning to Hohenschwangau."

"Ah, that is good news."

Naobi raised an eyebrow.

"Vineis has given the order to move in on the Exodus Faction," said Sheuth. "As the head of the reconnaissance group I would like you to spy on the Exodus Faction and prepare for an attack on Scarlet Palace."

The monk thought about this for a while, and then said, "And we do not move on the Exodus Faction yet?"

"No, we don't. We need to know the weak points of the guild. Keep an eye on Adiemus as well, we need to know what he does."

"Very well," said Naobi.

Sheuth liked the monk. Naobi rarely asked for details. Whatever he did was up to him, and whatever he did was in Sheuth's favour.

"When the War of Emperium resumes again, you may report to me your findings."

The monk bowed his head, slapping his clenched fist into the open palm of his other hand - his signature gesture to show that he understood and would obey the order. Then he walked off, past Sheuth.

The rogue smiled. The ball was going to roll around, and this time it wasn't going to stop at one place.

* * *

That night, for the sake of doing something and to relax, Valkron brought Iruna to Scarlet Palace in Greenwood Lake to have dinner with Adiemus and Raven.

They sat in the great dining hall, joking and talking about their experiences in the military. Because Iruna was one of the very few women in the Order of Juno, she had had a fair share of encounters.

"I'm amazed that you managed to stay in the Order and not leave because of the men there," said Raven, picking up his glass to take a sip of wine.

"You've got to be kidding, Raven," replied Valkron, as Adiemus chuckled. "Iruna? Give up because of the presence of masculinity? Not her."

"He's right," said Iruna brightly. Valkron had never seen her dress up before. Although he was wearing a set of clothes that were at least respectable, she was wearing a dress. It was not pretty, but it complemented her so well that when he had looked at her he swore he had gone breathless.

"Iruna isn't the kind to give up," said Adiemus. "She's learned a lot more than I thought, though."

"What do you mean?" asked Valkron.

"He means that I am able to fit in with men," said Iruna. "Probably referring to the time when they were joking around me about women, and I joined in."

"Yes, with all the economical gestures you made," said Adiemus, grinning.

Valkron sighed. "What are you looking at me for? I don't want to know what she did with the gestures. Leave me out of this, please."

"It's time you showed a lot more interest in women," said Raven.

"Excuse me!"

By now Adiemus and Iruna were laughing so hard Valkron and Raven ended up joining them.

"He won't be interested in women," she said, when they finally managed to stop, and were wiping the tears from their eyes. "Not with me around."

"Aw, you missed the chance," said Raven.

"One more time, Raven, and you're looking at a sword," warned Valkron, but he was grinning.

After dinner they went and stood out on the battlements of Scarlet Palace. The castle offered a beautiful view of the lake. Although there was not much to see at night, the lights of the other castles made up for it. They were like yellow stars glittering across the lake and in the distance.

"How do you find your neighbours?" asked Valkron, looking across the water.

"They're all right when not fighting for each other's castles," said Adiemus. "The Black Cross has a habit of throwing parties every other night, but other than that everyone's well and silent. The Legionnaires and the Seven Eyes keep to themselves. I miss Apocalypse Ultima, though."

"Any chance of me meeting him?"

"The leader? Well, he said he'd choose to meet you on his own, so you'll have to wait for that."

"How's the Seven Eyes guild?" asked Iruna, after a small pause.

"If you mean Alya, she's fine. She writes back to me twice a week or so." Adiemus sighed.

"Too busy to make it back?"

"Well, Nuernberg - that's her other castle - is much closer to the Valkyrie Realms. From her letters I doubt she'll leave Vineis' side. I can see she loves him dearly. She rarely returns to Bright Arbor these days. Besides, it's not right for me to pull her back just because I want her around."

"She's your daughter, and your only child," said Iruna softly.

Adiemus shrugged. "She knows I love her, and that she's the only person I have left to love. Alya may get what she wants, but most of the time she steps aside to let others have their share. She's not unfair."

"I can imagine," said Valkron. "The Seven Eyes guild loves her."

The wind blew through the trees around Greenwood Lake, sending the leaves rustling and whispering around them. Occasionally there would be an annoyed chirping as a few birds rose from the trees, shaken out of their roost by the wind. The glassy, calm surface of Greenwood Lake rippled a little from time to time.

"Adiemus," said Valkron, "I've always been interested in the castle that remains unoccupied here. What's with it? Guild leaders tell me they wouldn't dare invade it for anything in the world."

"Bamboo Grove Hill? They say it's haunted," said Raven.

"Don't look at him like that," said Adiemus, looking at Valkron's face. "He's right, actually. The veteran guild leaders told me that Bamboo Grove Hill used to be occupied before. The leader of that guild sent around a message about celebrating goodwill between guilds, but somehow it was accidentally misinterpreted and the other guild leaders had the idea that he was insulting them instead. They arrived at Bamboo Grove Hill and argued with him.

"The argument escalated into a fight. No one was sure how or who, but someone became a bit too violent and killed the guild leader of Bamboo Grove Hill by accident. They say the man's spirit now haunts the castle. You know old Gerrain?"

"That drill sergeant from the Academy?" said Valkron gleefully.

"The very same," Adiemus said, grinning. "He wanted to prove that ghosts didn't exist, and he went into Bamboo Grove Hill. About fifteen minutes later he was running like the demons of hell were at his heels and screaming bloody murder. He fainted outside the castle, but when he came around he told us that he'd seen a man wearing old clothes and wielding a sword had materialised out of thin air and slashed at him. The odd thing was that the man's head was a skull."

"Is he all right?" asked Iruna.

"Oh, he's fine now, but he wouldn't dare walk into Bamboo Grove Hill again. The next day a plaque appeared outside the castle, and it's been there ever since. It reads 'Whoever worthy of me will gain my trust'."

"No one put it there?" asked Raven. "I didn't hear about this."

"Well, if someone can carve the plaque on the doors in one night without magic, I can say someone put it there. But I doubt it." Adiemus looked at Valkron. "Don't tell me you'd want to try."

"What, you did?"

"Well, yes. I fought with the ghost."

They stared at him.

"He's an excellent fighter," said the crusader. "Very fast. Not a crusader's job, though. We move too slow. I nearly did get run through with his sword, but I conceded defeat."

"He let you go?" asked Iruna, looking alarmed.

"Yes. He tells you that, before duelling with him, if you concede defeat at any time during the duel, you can go free and alive."

"Sounds fair to me."

"He's pretty fair for a vengeful ghost, but I doubt I ever want to return." Adiemus shuddered. "He told me if I were to try again he wouldn't be so easy on me the second time."

They stood in silence, listening to the wind. Valkron gazed unseeingly at the dark, empty gap where he could just see the silhouette of Bamboo Grove Hill. Superstition, he thought, was a lot more complicated sometimes.

"Raven, I noticed you've taken to staying in Scarlet Palace," said Iruna.

"I'm helping him out with some guild matters," said the rogue. "He's getting old. It's time he got someone to assist him, hey?" He gave Adiemus a good-natured slap on the back.

"Oi!"

"Sorry."

Valkron knew why Raven was with Adiemus, however. Saladin had passed the message.

_Yeah, I'm old_, he thought to himself, _but to hell with age._

* * *

Later that night Valkron was again on night duty. Having shooed off Nocturne to bed before the poor hunter fell asleep standing up, he was now looking through the maps of Eyorbriggar and taking notes on the surroundings as well as the interior. Eyorbriggar was more difficult than any of the castles in Britoniah, because it was situated on a little island right in the middle of the river. If he took control of it, however, he would be able to keep an eye on Yesnelph and Bergel as well as block anyone from going through the island.

The winter wind was howling strongly around the castle as he worked. Repherion, and all the otehr guild castles, for that matter, had charms placed on their skylights so that wind could not go through, but sometimes they did not work well. Sometimes a cold draught would blow around the hallway. Valkron ended up getting the knight's clothes he usually wore for winter and wearing them as he worked away in the hallway.

He also got annoyed, a little later on, when the wind blew out his candle for the fifth time and left him in complete darkness. Eventually he went and got another candle. He lighted it by setting his sword on fire and lighting it with the glowing metal. Fire by magic, he had discovered, was more resistant to the wind, and at least he would not be plunged into darkness if the normal candle went out.

Valkron was measuring the distances between Repherion and Eyorbriggar when he heard a thunderous knocking at the small door. The wind nearly drowned it out at first, but it came a second time when he was still listening for it. He gripped his sword and went over to the door.

He opened it, letting in a strong draught of wind. He had not been seeing to his hair lately, and it half-blinded him. The knight managed to clear it out of his face, and looked at the silhouette in front of him.

"Blizzardriss, what the..." His voice trailed away.

"Questions later, how's that?" answered the wizard. "Let us through, it's freezing."

Valkron was still staring, but he came to his senses and hurriedly stepped aside. Blizzardriss came in, a little slowly, as he shifted the tall, gaunt figure with him.

As they came into the light, Valkron's assumptions were proven right.

Blizzardriss was supporting Emeth.

--

Bloody hell, I _swear_ I wrote something else in the previous chapter, and I _swear_ Plans is chapter 31 while Other Worlds is chapter 32. Gah, rewrites...

By the way, 'yak yak yakkity yak' is just to represent the sound of endless nagging/talking, just as 'zuruzuru zuruzuru' (Japanese, _Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children_) represents the sound of a situation/object being dragged around. You can't write 'yak yak yakkity yak' in Runic. It's just a sound.

special note for FFNet: Because I am evil and I have the moral fibre of a rat, I am going to POSTPONE posting up chapter 33. :D Sorry, but it's for purposes of storytelling.


	33. Reconciliation

Chapter 33 (rewrite)

**Reconciliation**

Valkron sat in his chair and stared unseeingly out of the window in front of him. He was sitting at his desk in his room. Before him were the spread out maps of Eyorbriggar, showing that he had been working on them before he had drifted off.

It was morning. The knight had just woken up and taken a shower before returning to his work, but he had to hurry down to get the maps where he had left them, before Hlin cleared them away. If there was a fault with their resident Kafra, it was her habit of clearing everything away so well that everyone would have lost their belongings did she not remember where she had placed the things she had moved.

But he wasn't thinking of her now. He was thinking of the talk he had with Blizzardriss the night before.

He had helped the wizard get Emeth to his room, before they had sat down to rest. Valkron had not been able to believe that the man Blizzardriss had brought with him was his second-in-command. Several days before Emeth had left for the Magic Academy, the wizard had looked healthy and cheerful, even though he was a bit tired.

Emeth had looked sick, tired and weak. He was thin to the point of emaciation, and his eyes had dark shadows under them, making them look so sunken Valkron had sworn they made his face look similar to that of a skull. His red hair, always messy, was now matted and dishevelled. He looked more like a beggar than anything else.

"All right, Blizzardriss," he had said to the wizard, "tell me what happened."

"You knew Emeth was working his butt off, did you?" the registrar had asked. "Well, I know all the other wizards were working as hard as he was, but frankly I've never met someone who managed to finish marking two hundred and seventy papers in a week."

"_What?_ You've got to be kidding!"

"Do I look like I am? No, don't answer that question. I doubt you can see my face." The wizard had sighed. "He's been having only two hours of sleep every day for the week, and marking papers every time he had nothing to do. Once the exams were over he didn't come out of his office except for a cup of tea and some food."

"What do you mean, some food? He looks like he's starved himself!"

"Yeah, well, he said he didn't want to eat so much, so that he didn't fall asleep during his work."

"That's reasonable when you're staying up for a short time, but this is beyond impossible."

"Everyone thought he was going mad," the wizard had said.

Valkron had stared at him. Then he had said, "So what happened?"

"Well, today he was working away as well, and I didn't see him for almost the whole day. Half an hour ago he came out of his office to get some tea. He passed my desk on the way.

"I was switching off the lights and getting ready to leave the Magic Academy, so I asked him if he was done. He said he wasn't leaving until he'd got the last thirty papers marked. I told him he needed to go back to Repherion and take a break, maybe catch up on some sleep.

"He gave me a look and said that he didn't need to go back to where he wasn't needed and where no one listened to him. I said Valkron wasn't that bad, but he just said he'd had enough of Repherion and working took his mind off his troubles. I was going to continue, but he walked off then to get his tea.

"When he returned I told him I was closing for the night, and he just shrugged. I think I was telling him that he looked like a damned skeleton when he just...collapsed in front of me. I wasn't going to just leave him on the floor."

"And you got here through the wind?"

At this point Blizzardriss had given him a look, insofar as anyone could tell with his fringe covering his eyes. "Being a registrar has its advantages."

Valkron didn't know what he had meant by that, but he had said, "Thanks for getting him here. I'll make sure he recovers before he goes back to work."

"If he comes back looking like how he looks like now I'm going to ban him from entering the building until he's recovered," the wizard had replied. "No problem, Valkron. I'm in charge of the wizards when the head isn't around, anyway."

Blizzardriss had promptly left, leaving Valkron to stare at his second-in-command for a long time.

But now the knight knew what was troubling Emeth. It was not just the problem with Kushana. There had been something else, and Valkron had been stupid enough to shout back at him and deny it.

There was a knock at the door. Valkron came back to his senses.

"Yes?" he said, raising his voice.

"It's me," Iruna's voice came through the door. "Is Emeth in his room?"

"Yes. Don't disturb him, though. He's asleep."

"Have you spoken to him?"

"He was unconscious, Iruna. Blizzardriss brought him in last night."

There was a pause. Then she said, "Okay, I'll tell the others to keep the noise down."

"Thanks, Iruna," said Valkron.

As her footsteps faded away he turned back to his work, sighing heavily. He could feel the shame inside him, reprimanding him.

He had been such an idiot. He had gone off thinking that Emeth had conceded defeat and needed a good talking to for being such a coward, but in truth Valkron had been the one who was wrong, all along.

* * *

Emeth felt the warmth and softness around him. It had been a long time he had lain in such comfort. He had often fallen asleep on his desk in his office for the past week.

He opened his eyes. They felt as if they had been stuck together with glue, and his eyes felt as if they had been boiled in sand. Nevertheless, his body told him he had had enough sleep for now.

The wizard turned his head towards where he could see dim light. By the looks of it he was back in his room in Repherion.

Emeth didn't want to move. His bed had never felt more comfortable, although the covers were still up to his chin. If he had slept like that he was either very worried or very tired.

He gazed blearily around the room. Everything looked the same, apart from the fact someone had drawn the curtains so that there was not much light entering his room. One table, upon which his belongings were scattered upon. One cloak, hanging on the hook behind the door, and one staff leaning against the wall in the corner. One man with bushy white hair with half-closed green eyes, watching him.

Emeth stared. Valkron was gazing at him with a grave face. He felt ashamed of himself.

It was the knight who spoke first. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine. Tired." Why was Valkron being nice to him? Emeth had misgivings about the knight. If he was being nice it would mean he had something in store for the wizard, and it probably wasn't nice.

"You slept for three days straight," said Valkron, still gazing at Emeth. "I've got Hlin making some food for you, though. You need it."

Emeth nodded. Valkron had never been this nice before.

"Blizzardriss brought you up here. He's told me that if you were to return to the Academy looking like you are now he's going to kick you back here until you're all right."

Emeth stared at him. _Come on, stop delaying your scolding. You know you want to kill me. Literally._

"I've got the entire floor keeping very quiet." Valkron jerked a thumb over his shoulder at the window. "It's late evening right now, so I'll let you sleep later. I just want to talk to you now."

_Yeah, that sounds about right_, thought the wizard. _He's going to blast me now. I deserved it._

Valkron took a deep breath. Emeth held his breath and waited.

"You might be thinking that I'm going to scream at you for what you did," said the knight. "To be really frank I'm not going to. You're too tired and too weak to take such a thing from me. Another thing is that...well, the whole argument was my fault. I don't know if you planned the whole thing or not, but I can tell you that you were right to tell me off. It was my fault. I didn't have the right to scream back at you. I'm sorry."

Emeth stared at him. The fact that his golden eyes were sunken was not helping his appearance.

"I'll leave you to rest." Valkron patted Emeth on the shoulder, which was something he had never done before. "Get another day's sleep. You need it, by the looks of you."

He was halfway across the room when Emeth said, "Why, Valkron?"

The knight turned. The wizard's voice had been so cracked and so quiet that he thought he hadn't heard right for a minute.

"Why are you treating me like this?" Emeth struggled to sit up. "I was wrong to argue with you."

"Yeah, you were," said Valkron, "but you were right to tell me what you thought of me."

"I hit you."

Emeth didn't feel as if he was the one speaking. His voice felt detached from him, talking on its own accord.

"I know," said Valkron softly.

"But I thought...you'd be wanting to tell me off. Making a fuss like that, insulting you--" Emeth's voice caught in his throat; it felt so dry that he could not continue speaking.

Valkron crossed the room back to the table, where a glass jug full of water sat next to a glass. He poured water into the glass and gave it to Emeth, who drank it down. The water had never been more refreshing and cool.

Valkron wordlessly took the glass from the wizard when he had finished his drink and set it back down on the table.

"I'm useless, aren't I?" said Emeth hopelessly. "I don't even know why you made me your second-in-command. I don't deserve the position. I don't deserve to be in your guild."

"You're not useless," said Valkron. "And you were the first person to help me, four months ago. You didn't care about how I treated you; you just helped, and you turned out to be the best wizard I've ever met. Yeah, you turned on us, but then you used Argath's power against him. You're much better than me. Don't deny it."

Emeth continued to stare at him. Valkron was getting unnerved by the gaunt, thin face, but he waited patiently.

Finally the wizard said, "I'm not worth it."

"Worth what?"

"The way you're treating me. I'm not worth it to be in this gui--"

"Emeth," said Valkron, stopping him, "you are. I don't care what you say. You are the best. This is the closest thing I've ever come to having a partner, y'know? So whatever you say about yourself, whatever you think, you are worth it. I was wrong to leave you alone. I was wrong to treat you like a tool, and not think of you as a human. I was wrong to ignore you. You've helped me out, it's only fair that I help you out with Kushana. I've been stupid and blind and short-sighted, Emeth, and you're the only one who's had the guts to show me that I was the fool. From now on you're part of the guild. You are needed here. Don't leave." He smiled. "I'll never find someone as good as you, both in ability and in heart."

To his amazement Emeth was actually crying. "I never thought I meant anything to you..."

* * *

Emeth took some time to recover from his emaciated state. Hlin, as if on unspoken cue, outdid herself in a series of dishes to coax his body to begin recovering, up till the point people were begging for a taste of the food. She tactfully kept them away, thankfully.

At the same time he was still trying to return to work.

"I've got only thirty papers left!" he said to Valkron. "Or Blizzardriss could give them to us..."

"I asked. He said no. Besides, I've tried to go back to work, when I was ill, before I recovered fully. On my first day back I threw up several times and had to be admitted to the Infirmary."

Emeth still didn't look convinced. "I'm almost done--"

"Emeth, plenty of wizards out there aren't. You've got two weeks to finish thirty papers. They've got two weeks to finish two hundred. Relax. You're not well enough to get up, so don't you dare do that either. I've got Nocturne keeping an eye out for you, so you can kiss your dreams of sneaking out goodbye."

The wizard gave him a sour look, but said nothing else.

Valkron smiled as he left the room, however. He knew Emeth didn't mean what he had said.

He entered the meeting room to find most of the senior guild members lounging around and talking. It was evening, so he wasn't surprised.

"How's Emeth?" asked Iruna, looking up. Valkron had not seen her for a few days - she had to stand in for a missionary who had fallen ill before he had managed to travel to the south, and she had been preaching in his stead.

"He's fine," he said. "Tired, but he's recovering."

"Did you talk to him?" she asked, watching him as he drew up a chair and sat down next to her.

"Yeah, I did." Valkron ran a hand through his hair. "I've never felt more ashamed of myself before. He's shown me that I'm just an old geezer after all."

He looked up in the sudden silence. "What? What are you looking at me for?"

"_You_ were the one at fault?" asked Eni tentatively.

"Well, yes." Valkron sighed. "I can't believe I treated him that way, and turned a blind eye to myself...I'm really a hypocrite. Sometimes I just don't admit my own mistakes and blame others. I am such a--"

He never got to finish his sentence. Iruna struck him across the face with the back of her hand.

"I hit Emeth," she said, in a low voice that was worse than her shouting. "I sided you. And you...you were the one who was wrong the whole time. You caused so much pain to him, and then you tell him it's his fault. You...you two-faced _liar_."

Several people winced at the word. Valkron was staring at the floor, his head still turned in the direction she had hit him. He seemed to be too shocked to say anything.

"Sometimes I don't know why I see you as a good man," she said. "You still act as if you're not at fault. And it took you so long to realise it, did you? After he came back half-dead? So you'd say sorry to a person who already died because of you? And you still dare talk so calmly about your faults? Why can't you show some remorse?"

"Iruna, leave him alone."

Everyone turned to see Emeth leaning against the wall just next to the doorway, inside the room.

"He admitted it to me," he said quietly, his voice still slightly cracked. "He told me he was sorry. He's been helping me to recover. I forgive him. Leave him be."

"He made me hit you!" said Iruna. "And you're still siding him?"

"Yeah, I do," said the wizard.

She mouthed at him for several seconds at this, but then she recovered. "I'm sorry, Emeth, but sometimes he goes too far. Even I can't tolerate this. I love him, but he's got to realise that he has to be there for others."

"Iruna, even _you_ can't go against a typical man," said Emeth. "You know we never admit our mistakes. Yeah, roll your eyes and say, 'That's just what we are'. Have you _ever_ wondered what's going in his head? Men don't show their emotions so easily as women. They don't admit mistakes."

"It doesn't give him an excuse to think he can go scot free--"

"Scot free? How well do you think you know him, Iruna? He's just like me, too. He had no one to teach him anything as a kid. Do you know how hard it is to live alone? Do you know how hard it is to live without people to guide you? You're lucky. Your parents died when you could remember them, and they've told you what they expect from you. We didn't go through that. We hardly remember our parents, and all we know is that they want us to live. No one was there to teach us how to be human."

"It still doesn't give an excuse to anyone to be such idiots!"

"No one's perfect," said Emeth simply.

Iruna took a deep breath. "And why are you saying all this?"

"Because we all don't know enough about him. You love him, but you don't know what he's been through. I've been with him the longest, but I don't know what he's been through. All we know is that he's suffered long enough. He had no one to talk to and trust with his life. He's lived on his own, and he's learned to depend on himself. Do you think he can see his own faults? He's grown up thinking that he can achieve what he wants by doing something!" Emeth spread out his hands. "Isn't that better than a man who doesn't do a thing at all?"

"You listen to me--"

"No, _you_ listen to me. Valkron's said sorry. He's angry with himself that he'd ignored the fact he was wrong. Do you want him to hurt himself anymore, Iruna? 'Cause that's what you're doing to him!"

Iruna bristled. "Can you prove that to me?"

"You're being like him right now! You're saying that he's wrong, and he already knows that! Can't stop rubbing it in, can you?"

At this several people gasped.

Iruna looked down at Valkron. The knight was still in the same position.

Emeth's expression softened. "Sometimes other people act like idiots, and you want to change them," he said. "Yeah, it's easier if you slap them, and the world becomes a better place for a while. But it's only for a short while, and in the long run you're just injuring them. You've never whipped your peco to punish it, have you?"

Iruna looked up. "Absolutely not!"

"Same thing here." Emeth sighed. "Yeah, it's hard. I know. I've been pretty much an idiot myself. Anyway, you woke me up with that blow of yours. You can hell pack a punch, I tell you that."

Iruna continued to stare at him. The wizard shrugged.

"I was wrong to hit him, and you were wrong to hit me," he said. "But I was right to show him he was wrong, and you were right to show me that I was an immature idiot to make a fuss out of it. Live and learn, I say. Besides," his voice grew gentle, "you're changing him, Iruna. He knows you love him, and he loves you. You're the person he trusts the most now. One day...who knows, one day he'll tell you his life. He'll trust you to be there, and he'll trust you to tell him that you understand, and that nothing will hurt him anymore. We're just kids at heart, sometimes. You've got to think that way. Now, I'm going to go back to bed. Keep the noise down, will you?"

The wizard nodded at them, turned and slipped out of the room, limping slightly. Everyone watched him go.

It was Valkron who broke the silence.

"I'll...go too," he said quietly. "See you all in the morning."

He rose from his chair and left. No one stopped him, not even Iruna. But as she watched him leave she felt sick of herself.

_I always think I know more, and I just throw myself in it_, she thought. _But then it turns out I don't know a lot more, and I get myself into a horrible mess and make myself look like a fool. I've got to stop being like this. For everyone's sake. For my own sake._

_For Valkron's sake._

--

AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH I REMEMBERED THE MISSING 3-4 KB WORTH OF STORY IN CHAPTER 29 WHILE I WAS TYPING THIS CHAPTER!! D:

...I'm starting to not care about the length of each chapter, since it's the content that matters, but I'm still missing 1-3 KB worth of story here. Never mind. END OF REWRITES, YEAHAHAHAHAHAHAA.

note: visit the devART link in my profile for 13 pieces of WotW character artwork, just come in. Oh, and by the way...the next chapter will not come up so soon, because I am now on hiatus. My exams are in four weeks' time.


	34. Matchmaker

Chapter 34

**Matchmaker**

Iruna was still feeling guilty about what she had done when she got up the next morning. She sat in bed and stared unseeingly at the opposite wall, remembering Valkron's expression when she hit him. It had changed, one second before her hand had made contact, but she'd never forget the shocked look on his face.

The morning silence was broken only by the chirping of the birds outside. Iruna looked up, and then got out of bed. Crossing the floor, her bare feet padding on the smooth, cool stone, she pulled open the curtains and opened the shutters of the window.

The morning sun was rising, spreading its soft golden rays of light across the sky. Traces of the night remained in the sky, although they were giving in to the sun. Iruna leaned out of the window and inhaled the fresh air.

No. She should not leave the matter for so long.

When Iruna was in the castle she either wore a simple peasant's dress or a pair of her brother's old breeches and a blouse; she tended to wear the latter when she was busy about the castle. Today, since she was going to go around with the Kafra employee in Merseitzdeitz, Fulla, she wore the blouse and breeches.

After emerging from her room, she hesitated. Then she headed up the passage to Valkron's room, which was closest to the emperium room.

She knocked on the door, her face inches away from it.

"Yes?"

"Um...Valkron?" she said. "It's me."

There was no sound. Iruna shifted uncomfortably.

"I hope you had a good night's sleep," she said, looking at her boots.

Silence.

"I...um...I just want to tell you I'm sorry about what happened last night." There was a lump growing in her throat, but she pushed it down. "I really am sorry. Emeth was right."

Silence.

"I hope you're all right, Valkron." Iruna looked up at the polished wood again. "I'm really sorry. I didn't take your feelings into account. Please forgive me."

Silence.

After a while of lingering at his door, Iruna sighed and turned away. She began to head down the passage, so deep in her thoughts that she did not hear the door open, and the soft footsteps behind her.

A hand caught her by the wrist. She turned, surprised, to see Valkron. He was wearing his usual brown shirt and trousers, and his white hair suggested that he had been running his hand through it. A lot.

She stared at him. He looked down at her, his eyes softer than she had expected.

"Iruna," he said, "you don't do things without a reason. I don't expect you to understand me in one night, and you know you don't expect me to tell you everything, either."

"But I..."

"It's okay." He brought his hand up and placed it on her cheek. "I'm not angry with you. It was a shock, yes, but it woke me up even further. I can't expect you to be perfect."

"Then...what were you doing this morning, ifyou weren't..."

"I was looking through the maps of EYorbriggar, that's all," he replied. "It's been difficult, but I think I almost got it."

Iruna stared up into his face. Valkron was struck by how large her eyes were. Even though they were an unremarkable brown, he knew he would never see such beautiful eyes on anyone else.

"I love you, Iruna. I love you so much I would argue with you, because you know that there is no such thing as a naturally flawless relationship." He pulled her gently to him. "It will only be flawless because we made it so, that we can tolerate each other's faults and change each other. And that's why I'm glad I'm with you, because you've changed me."

Iruna gasped a little as he hugged her. Then she smiled, and relaxed.

"You've changed," she said. "A lot more than I could have done. You're so different now; I don't think anyone who knew you four months ago wouldn't be surprised at the change in your behaviour. Is it because of the guild?"

"You could say that," said Valkron, his voice half-muffled; his face was buried in her hair. Their height difference was so insignificant that it did not take him much effort to bend down and kiss her head.

Iruna hugged him back. They stood for a long time, only aware of each other's beating hearts and not caring about the world at all. They did not realise, as the sun rose, the golden rays shone through the windows of the castle and illuminated the passage.

When they broke apart, Valkron looked down at Iruna, smiling. Then he suddenly became aware of another human presence and looked up to see Emeth, leaning against his doorway and watching them.

"Oh...I'm sorry, Emeth," said Valkron, backing away from Iruna.

The wizard shook his head. He was smiling.

"Don't worry, Valkron." He held up a small box-like object. "I've learned I shouldn't be so childish just because I don't have something others do. And besides...the view from here was amazing."

"What do you mean by that?" said Iruna. "And what's that box?"

"Haha, it's okay. I meant it in a nice way." Emeth looked at the box. "This? I borrowed this from a friend of mine, and I realised today I forgot to give it back. I've done what I need to do with it, but today was an especially good day. Here."

He gave the bemused Valkron a piece of squarish paper. Valkron took it.

"What the...an imp painting?" he said, looking up at the wizard.

"Yeah. I made it paint you guys."

The paint on the picture was still fresh, so Valkron avoided directly touching it. But the painting had been beautifully captured - the two of them, standing close together, outlined by the sun's golden rays. It looked just like heaven.

"Keep it," Emeth said, as the two of them stared at it. "It's a present."

He was halfway down the passage when Valkron came to his senses.

"Emeth!"

The wizard did not stop walking; he simply waved. "No need to thank me!"

"Not that!"

Emeth stopped and turned. "What do you mean?"

Valkron shrugged. "I just want to tell you to go down to the riverside tonight. It's full moon."

"I know that."

"Yeah, but just go. You might find something there you never dreamed of having."

Emet gave him a look before turning away and striding into the portal that would bring him to the third floor. Valkron smiled wistfully after him before turning back to Iruna, who was still gazing at the picture.

"It's beautiful," she said. "I suggest we frame it."

"Your call," he said.

"Why did you say that to him? Is he really going to find it, or are you just playing a prank on him?"

"Me? Play a prank? You know I hate pranks." Valkron smiled. "He's going to find a little surprise tonight, that's all. I've arranged it all."

* * *

Lucius felt much better the next day, so he went to see Sedir. Like Sheuth and Vineis, the priest followed Lucius wherever he went to keep an eye on him. Sedir disliked owning a castle all on his own, and he never really battled unless it was an emergency.

The priest examined him for a while, using spells that seemed to give off a smell of acrid smoke as he went over Lucius' back. The assassin was used to this, but he had never really felt comfortable around the priest, especially when he kept muttering strange words under his breath.

"You're fine now," said Sedir at last, straightening up. "The source of your pain is located somewhere in your back, bt I can't pinpoint where, and why. It's not easy."

"Thank you, Sedir, all the same." The assassin slid off the stool and slipped on his tunic. "You have been very helpful. and at least you do something, unlike the other priests."

"You're part of this guild," said Sedir, shrugging. "Now what are you going to do?"

"I am going to see Kuroihi," answered Lucius. "I think we need to straighten out a few things before we try to prevent anything else from happening."

Kuroihi, when not in the Chivalry, was in charge of Neuschwanstein, in Luina. He only returned to the castle when he was not busy with work in the Chivalry, which was very rare. Lucius and Sedir warped directly to Al de Baran before making their way to Luina.

When they reached the castle, the two guards standing at the doors nodded to them and let them pass through the great doors. Neuschwanstein, like every other castle in Luina, was made of white marble and had great statues holding up the ceiling. Al de Baran's architecture was famous, and it showed here.

They were surprised to see David and Reita standing in the hallway as well.

"Greetings, David, Reita," said Lucius, nodding to them. "What brings you here?"

"We're supposed to see Kuroihi, but right now the priests are seeing to him," said Reita. She looked worried. "They say it will take a long time before his wounds heal properly."

"True," said Sedir, from behind. "The priests tell me that some of Kuroihi's muscles have been ripped apart so badly it will take him some time to recover. They've discovered a slashed muscle in his leg as well."

"It seems he won't be walking for quite a while," said David anxiously.

A priest hurried up to them just then. "I apologize for keeping you," he said, "but Kuroihi is conscious now, and will see you. He has heard you await him here."

"All right, we will go." Lucius looked back at the others, and they nodded at him. He headed straight for the room, following the priest.

Kuroihi was still wearing his blindfold. He turned his head slightly as they walked in.

They stared. The knight was naked from the waist up, and thick bandages covered his right side. They were already stained red.

"Looks ghastly, doesn't it?"

His weak voice brought them to their senses. Reita hurried forward, her jewellery clinking together and her slippers clicking on the floor.

"Are you all right, Kuroihi?" she said anxiously.

"I don't feel fine, as it is," he answered, "but at least I'm alive. That must be...Reita, am I right?"

Despite herself, Reita smiled a little. "Who else could it be, Kuroihi?"

The other three came around. Kuroihi seemed to listen to their footsteps before he said, "And David, Lucius and Sedir are with you, am I right?"

"Is there something wrong with your senses, Kuroihi?" asked David. "You always know who's approaching you, and you never ask. This is the first time you're doing it."

"My injuries have caused me to lose some of the sharpness my senses have," replied the knight. "They are exceedingly painful, and I'm glad when I fall asleep. I don't feel the pain that way."

"Kuroihi," said Lucius quietly, "I know you would not want to talk about this, but...what happened?"

There was silence. Then the knight said, "I...don't know."

Lucius exchanged looks with David, Reita and Sedir. "What do you mean?"

"I have no idea who did it, or how it happened. All I know is that whatever hit me used something made of sharp metal, and did so with the intent to kill."

"How did it come about?"

"I was walking down a passage in Fadhgrindh when something hit me in the side," said the knight weakly. "It left a long gash in my leg as well."

Reita looked horrified. David winced.

"The funny thing was when I realised I hadn't detected the person," continued Kuroihi. "You all know that I can detect someone's presence, don't you?"

"Yes," they said.

"I did not detect any such presence. Humans and monsters give off an incredibly strong life force, but there was none for this one. It was as if I had been attacked by a particularly vengeful spirit."

"You could have been attacked by a wraith," began Reita, and then stopped when she caught Lucius' look.

"I have only one suggestion, Kuroihi," said the assassin. "Another assassin could have been hired to kill you. You cannot detect assassins when they are hding, can you?"

"No," said Kuroihi. "But there are rogues as well."

"Rogues are not as efficient as assassins. They still leave a shadow on the ground, which implies that their life force cannot be hidden completely. No, assassins are particularly clever at attacking, and I should know."

"But who would do this?" asked Reita desperately.

Lucius frowned. "Who else has grudges against us?"

There was a silence as they worked this out. Then David said hesitantly, "The Raulus?"

"I doubt it was the Raulus," said Kuroihi, before anyone could speak.

"How would we know?" countered Reita. "They have a high-ranking assassin amongst them, don't they? Valkron could have sent him!"

"Countless possibilities," said Lucius, who had closed his eyes in deep thought. "But only one of them is true."

"So how do we find out?" asked David.

Lucius opened his eyes. It was not very bright in the room, since Kuroihi was asleep most of the time, and the only thing that gave out light was the fire in the hearth. But that fire was reflected in his eyes, and they seemed to burn as he stared.

"We will wait and see. There is nothing we can do for now. Every guild has its enemies, but we may have a particularly vicious one on our hands." His eyes shone. "And when I find out who it is...I swear I will kill him with my bare hands."

* * *

Emeth had never felt better in his life. True, he had missed on sleep before, in his student days, but it had never been so many hours that he had skipped. Valkron had counted for him, and had said, "One hundred and fifty four out of one hundred and sixty eight. You didn't sleep for _one hundred and fifty four hours_, you idiot."

Samaroh had prescribed to him several days of sleep as well. As a result Emeth had recovered from being almost a skeleton to being himself again.

Now he was wondering why Valkron would tell him to go down to the riverside.

Everyone in the guild knew that he disappeared down to the riverside during full moon. It had nothing to do with the moonlight giving him power, although this was the first assumption people made. As a magician Emeth had discovered early on that the river bathed in full moonlight was extremely beautiful - so beautiful that he could never get enough of it. Every time he went down he would always find something new to gaze upon, something that was so enchanting that he would despair when the moon set, and a new day would begin. Then he would wait for the full moon to rise again.

On the contrary, he stayed in on new moon nights. This time it _did_ have something to do with magic. The new moon was associated with something wizards called 'the Dark', and was a potentially dangerous time. They were thankful that it only happened once, even if regularly, and then there would be no more new moon nights until the cycle of the moon was complete.

Unfortunately, after the twelfth full moon of the year had passed, all wizards would set up defences. This practice was prevalent, especially in Geffen. There would be about thirty days of new moon after the twelfth moon. This was the _real_ Dark, and no one, if they could afford it, ventured out at night during the thirteenth moon.

Emeth put down his book and sighed. He had finished marking all the papers, and had sent them back to the authorities to have them checked. Blizzardriss had gaped at him when he had handed them in to the registrar: he had finished all within two hours.

The wizard stared at his book. It was a much folded, much read tome, fat with bookmarks and pieces of paper on which he had written notes, stuck in between relevant pages. As a Theory of Magic teacher, his responsibility was not only to teach, but to research on magic.

Someone flopped down beside him. It was Samaroh.

"Doing a spot of studying?" asked the priest. Emeth detected traces of tiredness, but Samaroh appeared to ignore his state.

"More like research," replied the wizard. He tapped the book in front of him. "Since there are no classes I'm not doing any work."

"Lucky you," said Samaroh bitterly. "We're always having to find out new techniques of healing. I wish people would stop using magic, though."

"Why? I thought everyone likes it."

"Yes, well, although it heals a great lot of injuries and whatnot there's one thing it doesn't do," said the priest.

"What's that?"

"Cure diseases or illnesses caused by old age. You know? People going blind, people's bones becoming brittle, that sort of thing? And sometimes I get patients who complain of pain, but I check them and heal them and they still come back." Samaroh rolled his eyes. "Talk about being a priest."

"What are those, then?" asked Emeth, pointing at the two thick books Samaroh was gripping.

The priest lifted them up and dropped them onto the table. Emeth had been fast enough to retrieve his papers before Samaroh had done so.

"One is my notebook," he explained tiredly, "and the other is the book I'm copying from. I've resolved not to use magic, for once."

Emeth peered at the books. One of them was green, with gilded words in Runic across the cover. The other had its title written in Old Runic, but Emeth was damned if he couldn't read the language.

"What?" he said, craning over it to see it properly. "I can't see what it says...Fys...no, Phi..."

"Physic," said Samaroh. "The ancient study of physical anatomy. I'm not even halfway through the book, look."

He showed Emeth the top. There was a brass leaf-shaped bookmark one fifths into the pages from the cover.

"Gah, there's so much to do..."

"What about your exorcism?" asked Emeth.

"I've decided to pause for a while," replied Samaroh. "This is more rewarding. I've never had so much fun in my life, seriously."

Emeth looked at the priest. Although Samaroh was clearly tired, there was a sparkle in his eyes that the wizard had never seen before. Emeth understood his passion. After all, he shared the same enthusiasm for his current research.

"I'm sure it is," he said, for the want of something to say.

Samaroh took out his watch and looked at it. "And it's eleven. I haven't even finished my notes yet, and I have so much to do--"

"_What_ It's eleven already?" Emeth snapped his book shut and got off his chair, nearly toppling it. He caught it absently and set it back on its feet.

"I've got to go, see you tomorrow!"

Samaroh watched him whisk his cloak off the table and sprint out of the door before turning back to his books and opening them.

"Wizards," he said.

* * *

Emeth pelted along at full speed down to river flowing through Britoniah. He had missed the rising of the moon, and now he was late. A few ambernites tried to block his path, but he nimbly avoided them, even using one as a stepping stone at one point.

At length he reached the river. Emeth came to a stop, panting, and leaned against a tree to catch his breath.

When he had recovered, he made his way to the river. He had a favourite spot somewhere along the river bank, which offered an unrivalled view of not just the river itself, but of the island upon which Eyorbriggar had been built, and the other side of the land, where Yesnelph and Bergel lay snuggled deep in their nest of forest. He came to it now, and sighed with fondness as the familiar sight came to his eyes.

Emeth gazed at the river for a long time. He was watching the shimmering waters of the river. As a child he had always been fascinated with how the moonlight turned blue water into silver. Although he knew why now, it did not stop him from being completely amazed at it.

It had probably gone past midnight when, as he was gazing up at the silver disc that was the moon, he became aware of soft sounds in the undergrowth nearby. He kept his pose, so still that no one would have seen him, and watched out of the corner of his eye.

There was a rustling of bushes, and then a slim figure stepped out. It made its way to the bank. There was no wind tonight, and everything was so still she had probably not seen him.

"Hello, Kushana," he said.

The huntress jumped. "Good grief! I didn't see you there!"

"Sorry." Emeth turned to look at her. In the moonlight her slender figure was even more beautiful, but the wizard was wise enough not to think any further from that.

Kushana exhaled in relief. "I didn't know you came here, too."

"What? You come here as well?"

"Yes, every full moon night. I feel one with the forest, every time I do that." She smiled at him. "It's what influences me as a hunter, and I swear on that."

"I bet you do," replied Emeth, focusing ahead again.

There was a pause. Then Kushana said, "I should go elsewhere. It's not right to invade on someone's privacy."

"No! No, it's okay," he said. He had not moved from his place. "I don't mind. I've invited Valkron to join me before, but he was too busy then."

"He's missing something wonderful, then."

"Yeah, but it happens twelve times a year."

"True."

The two of them gazed at the moon for some time. After a while, Emeth asked, "How do you find the guild?"

"Oh, it's fun," she replied. "Although I have to keep a lookout on Merseitzdeitz every other day, I don't find it bothersome. And everyone in the guild is great."

"Yeah, you were laughing at Silas and Zak the other day," said Emeth, a grin spreading across his face.

"What? I couldn't help it! They were hilarious!"

"Well, at least you stopped them. And had the whole guild laughing."

Kushana looked annoyed, but she was smiling. "Fine, have it your way."

"Do you want to sit down?" Emeth started to get up from the tree stump he was sitting on. "Here, you can take this. I'll sit on the ground."

"No, you were here first, you keep it. I'm used to sitting on the ground."

"No, you're the lady here. You take it."

They glared at each other, and then burst out laughing.

"Okay, okay, I'll take it."

They sat for the whole night, only talking when they needed to. The beauty of the moon overwhelmed everything else. If Emeth had not got a neckache he would have stared at it forever.

It felt as if time had flown as the moon began to set. Emeth sighed. They had been sitting there for five hours, one wizard sitting cross-legged on the ground and a huntress sitting on a tree stump.

"Okay, I'm going back," he said. "Just got to get up first, which I doubt because my legs are stiffer than wood...oh, gods..."

Kushana leapt off the tree stump and steadied him. "Whoa, there. You should have stretched your legs at first."

Emeth felt her hands hold him gently. He savoured the feeling, but he did not respond to it. "Thanks. Hopefully I can walk back to the guild."

"Emeth?"

The wizard looked at her.

"Yeah?"

"You're a really nice person."

Emeth felt his heart warm to her, but he did not show it, either. "Thank you."

"No, I mean it." Kushana looked away from him. "You didn't chase me off tonight. Most of the people with whom I share this...this obsession with always shoo me off."

"Well, I don't, 'cause it's rude," said Emeth. "You're entitled to the best moonlight in the best place. And anyone who says it's an obsession will get a kick in the bum from me."

Kushana laughed. "That's why you're different." She looked up into his face. "That's why I like it when you're around."

Instead of smiling Emeth looked away from her. "Yeah, well, Nalini always tells me she feels downright dirty when I'm around her."

"Oh, why do you have to listen to her?"

"Because I left her? Obviously?" Emeth sighed. "I should have said sorry, but it's too late."

"Why don't you just show her who you really are, Emeth?"

The wizard looked down at her. Kushana was still staring at him. It unnerved him a little.

"Because I don't like who I am?"

The huntress gave him a playful push. "Oh? And is that your excuse?"

"It's not an excuse! It's..." Emeth's voice trailed away as his eyes glazed over.

Kushana watched him for a while. Then she said, "You regret it, don't you?"

He looked down at her. She looked grave this time.

"Yeah. Yeah, I do." He focused elsewhere again. "I wish I didn't do it. I was old enough to know."

"You were old enough, but you didn't know," said Kushana softly. "No one told you. No one was _there_ to tell you."

"I could have found out."

"You did, but you had only one way of finding out."

Emeth looked at her. He couldn't believe he was having this conversation.

"Why are you supporting me?" he said. "I thought you didn't like men who did, you know, stuff--"

"I don't like men who do, you know, stuff and then don't admit they made a mistake." Kushana looked upset. "But you were different. You...really did want to know, didn't you? But you didn't have friends, did you?"

"I did, but the kind that are odd."

"At least not people like Vineis."

"Yeah, true."

"Listen to me, Emeth," said Kushan, grabbing his wrists. "You accept your mistakes. But if you don't move on from the past you're never going to get anywhere. You always linger on them, asking yourself why you did it. Isn't the reason obvious?"

"Yeah," mumbled Emeth.

"But you'e an adult now, Emeth. Have you _ever_ repeated it?"

"That's exactly the reason why I stay away from women."

Kushana stared at him. Then she said, very quietly, "You don't have to."

Emeth stared at her now.

"I know you're not any of the men I've met in my life," she said. "You've got a good heart and a kindness I don't find in anyone else. You don't brag. You don't show off. So why think you're still the same boy you were back then? I know that women like your face, but your appearance is nothing to me. I want to see the one you've got inside, the one you don't show. _That_ one is the most handsome to me."

"I'm still a child at heart," said Emeth.

"Aren't we all? But if you stay that way, Emeth," she leaned closer and lowered her voice, "you're never going to grow up."

The silence was unbearable. Emeth felt himself reach out for her, but he held himself back.

"Show me the adult you are, Emeth."

The wizard stared at her, his eyes large round golden discs. She was so close to him he could practically smell her hair.

And then he felt the inner wall he had built around himself crumble. Her personal space was extending into his, but it was not the rude kind he usually encountered. Like tendrils of a morning glory plant he felt her warmth gently reach into him, breaking apart whatever that had stood between him and the present.

He leaned forward and kissed her.

Emeth felt the world around them gradually dissolve away into nothing. He closed his eyes, and felt his senses extend, as they usually did when he was casting a spell. He could sense her life force flowing strongly, her heart beating...it was nothing like he had ever experienced before.

_This...is love?_ he thought, as the warmth he had never had until now flowed through him, softening him and touching his heart. _It's just as indescribable as the beauty of the moonlight. This is...nothing compared to what I felt during that time._

_Yes. That time was just desire. This time is something else. Something much better._

He heard his breathing slow, and deepen, as his arms encircled her and pulled her close to him. Now he could feel the life in her, sweeping away the remnants of the wall inside him. The warmth was filling up inside him, and he felt lighter and more content than he had ever been before.

Emeth felt her put her arms around his neck. He felt himself sink quietly away, into the warmth, and knew that he had finally found peace with himself.

* * *

Somewhere in the bushes, Valkron looked down at the box he was holding. A piece of paper was pushed out through a slot in the front with a soft rustling sound. He took it, whispering, "Thanks" as he did.

"You arranged this, didn't you?" asked Iruna, who was standing next to him. She was still watching the scene. "The whole thing. You _knew_ it was going to happen.

"Yes, I told her to go down to the riverside tonight. She does share the same passion as he does." The knight looked at the picture, and smiled. "She just never knew that the place I specified for her was used by Emeth. And why not? Why wouldn't it happen? They both love each other. I just...made sure they did meet alone, and properly. Somewhere where they will remember, just like us this morning."

"You are just too much with that mind of yours," said the crusader, shaking her head.

Valkron chuckled softly. "I know, Iruna. Here, you can keep this. Give it to them when they come back. I need some sleep."

Iruna looked down at the picture. It showed the silhouettes of one man and one woman, but so close together they looked like one. With the silver rays of the setting moon outlining them, it looked just like heaven.

"Oh, you," she said.

* * *

Regarding the accents used by the characters in this fic, the Geffenese accent (Emeth) sounds like a cross between French and German, the Junoan (Kushana and Samaroh) one is of an aristocrat's, and the Izlude one (Valkron) is just normal.

note for FFNet: damned double hyphen fixed.

I am sorry to announce that, after posting this chapter, I will be on hiatus. My exams will begin 3 weeks after today, and I'm already busy with homework (however, chapter 35 is already half done, lol, for some odd reason).

There is more artwork up on my devART account. I don't actually recall saying anything about this - or about anything else. I suffer from short term memory when it comes to stuff I do in my free time, since I contribute most of the memory to my studies, eheh...

Incidentally, some of the artwork (eg Nocturne, David) will be redone again due to anatomical errors. I haven't had the time to delete them, though, so you might get a vague idea of how they look like.

Hopefully I get to write again. Have fun!

-Arcturus17

PS: Thanks very much to GladiariaAlata for drawing Iruna! If you want to see it go to her devART page or visit my favourites. It's an awesome depiction, and just about as close as you're going to get to seeing the real person!


	35. The Tiger Moves

Chapter 35

**The Tiger Moves**

It was a bright afternoon, despite the fact that winter was approaching. Emeth turned his face to the sky and savoured what little heat was left.

"You seem to enjoying the sun," said a wizard watching him nearby.

"Well, considering that I spent something like a couple of months running about the kingdom during the time of the Dark Portal, don't you think I'd not come out of the experience and appreciate the sun a lot more?" asked Emeth. "Come on, let's do this thing properly."

"I don't get it," muttered his colleague. "Why are we setting up defences for the Dark _now_? We've still got a couple of months to go."

"Are you a wizard or what?" retorted Emeth. "You _know_ all spells for the Dark mature for two months before they're ready to be used! What are you complaining for? I'll draw on your face if you keep wittering like that!"

He looked back down on the ground. They were standing a few metres from one of the massive staircases that led down into the depression Geffen was built into. At his feet was an incomplete magic circle, about four feet in diameter

"We need to tell the novices not to scuff the circles out every time," said his colleague, who was busy using a strange, quite large, quill to ink Runic into the ground around the inside. "Especially when we've run out of coperas and resort to using chalk instead."

"It's because you always never finish them!" snapped Emeth. "I know you're a junior wizard, but if you've got a responsibility, you do it! I don't care if you succeeded the exams without having to retake them! If you're lazy being gifted doesn't make a difference! Move over, I have to finish this mess you started!"

The younger wizard moved aside sulkily. Emeth put the chalk on the ground, in the centre of the circle. He stepped back, avoiding the drawn parts, and clapped his hands together, staring at the desolate piece of chalk.

The chalk picked itself up, glowing yellow. Emeth waved his hand in what appeared to be a vague but fairly complicated circle. Immediately the chalk set about to drawing out what he had instructed it to do.

"I'm surprised you can't do this," said the senior wizard, his eyes not leaving the chalk as it drew. "This is a simple telekinesis spell. When you get back to the Academy I want you to recap your basic spells by tomorrow. Can you even manage to do it?"

When Emeth wanted to be sarcastic, he did not waste his time in making people laugh at others. His sarcasm, in effect, stung more than a hot poker burn.

"All right."

"All right what?"

"All right, sir."

"Good."

As Emeth said the word, the chalk finished. It dropped down to the ground, as lifeless as it had been before. As Emeth pointed at it, the circle began to glow.

The chalk shot back to his fingers, and just in time. Suddenly the circle levitated off the ground and divided into four concentric circles. They formed tiers, upon which the smallest was at the top and the biggest at the bottom, creating a cone-shaped spell.

"Before you go in," said Emeth, turning to the wizard behind him, "I want you to post up notices on the defences. You know how to script notices without touching a quill. Do it. I'll be coming back tonight to see. If you don't put them up I'm going to have you skinned in front of the staffroom."

The wizard fidgeted, but he answered anyway. "Yes, sir."

"Good. I'm going back to Britoniah now. Finish off the other spells before people mess them about and get back. If we're not protected against the Dark, no one's going to like you when _they_ come." Emeth left the wizard to fume.

He made his way back to Repherion. Unfortunately for all the guild members - except for Samaroh - they could never tell the time. They had a few clocks around the castle, which Valkron used to set times for meetings, but no one could ever tell the time, besides referring to clocks in their workplaces.

Because of this Emeth arrived ten minutes late for their council of war. Surprisingly, however, Valkron wasn't angry.

"You seem surprised at my behaviour today, Emeth," said the knight, noticing the stare the wizard was giving him.

"Why aren't you blasting me in the face like you usually do?" asked Emeth.

Valkron nodded at Samaroh. "Go on. You know you want to do it."

The priest got to his feet and drew, out of his pack, a small box. He handed it over to Emet with what looked like a half-amused, half-disgruntled expression. Samaroh's expressions were often hard to read.

"What is it?" asked Emeth, looking at the box sitting in his hand, as Samaroh returned to his place around the table. "I hope it's not something that will jump out of the box and go--"

He said something that the others did not understand, but finished it with "--at me."

"Open it," said Valkron.

Emeth opened the box.

There was silence.

"From the Golden Sands Company," said Samaroh quietly, looking at the wizard. "It's specially designed for wizards. If you notice, the time and date's already been set, so you can see when the next new or full moon will happen, as well as a little window to tell you what season it'll be, and the passing months. The watchmakers in the company are a bit old-fashioned, so they've done 'moons' instead of months. When the Dark comes, the watch will alert you on which day it is."

They watched Emeth carefully.

"YOu didn't have to do that," said the wizard, in a small voice.

"Oh, and on the underside we've carved a message for you," said Valkron.

Emeth turned the watch over. It was large, but it fit into his palm perfectly. Emblazoned into the backing were the words _From all of us, at the Raulus Guild!_

"How did you know I like silver?"

"Because I noticed you do," replied the knight.

Indeed, the watch was a beautiful silver, and had its own delicate silver chain. Emeth pressed the little clasp, and the lid flipped open with a neat _click_.

After a while, Valkron said, "Okay, so while Emeth is speechless over his present, we'll start on the plans for--"

"Who wanted to give me this"

They looked up at him.

"I did," said Valkron calmly. "And Samaroh wanted to make up to you. Both of us paid for it."

Emeth started rummaging behind him, where, as everyone knew, he kept a pouch that was not visible to anyone because of his cloak.

"YOu don't have to pay us--" began Samaroh.

"I'm not paying you. Catch."

Something brown blurred in the air. Valkron caught it neatly; Samaroh barely managed to catch his.

"One zeny?" he asked, looking at the bronze coin in his hand.

"Token," said Emeth. "For the watch. It's a superstition, if that's what you're thinking," he added, seeing Valkron's mystified look, "in your case. But giving a watch is sort of bad luck to an adult, so I have to give you a token. Don't give it back to me."

"Right," said Valkron, as Emeth sat down. "Now that _that's_ over, we can get down to business."

He turned to the large map behind him. It showed the region of Britoniah, complete with castles and gates.

"This Woden's Day we are taking on Eyorbriggar," he said. "We've got enough men-- people to stand guard at Merseitzdeitz and Repherion, just in case other guilds try to barge in."

"They've restarted the War of Emperium?" asked Eni.

"Um...yes?" Valkron gave her a look. "Why in the world would I be calling this meeting, then, if it wasn't restarting?"

"I thought this was in advance," replied the alchemist. She was leaning against Aramithar. "You know...when the next session begins?"

"Emeth?" said Valkron, turning to the wizard.

"Everyone's finished marking their papers," answered Emeth.

"That was fast!"

"Um...yeah, because I did it for them." He looked around in the sudden silence. "What? I found a spell and cast it! I'm a wizard! You can't expect me to not use magic, can you?"

"Got the answer you were looking for, Eni?" asked Valkron. "Good. And as for Eyorbriggar, I don't think we're going to have any trouble with it, really. We've done off with Merseitzdeitz and Repherion; we're doing exactly the same with Eyorbriggar. Same strategies, same system. Easy enough to understand?"

"Yes," chorused the rest.

"Okay, that's good enough for me." Valkron appeared to chew on his lip for a few minutes.

"So...um...after Eyorbriggar, what are we going to try and take?" asked Eni. "We're almost ready for an invasion! We've done guild sieges and taking over, but I'd really want to know when we go for the real thing!"

"Um...well..." Valkron appeared to be not really paying attention to Eni, but it was evident he had heard. "The only thing I know of right now might be as risky as, say, going after Baphomet alone."

Everyone stared at him.

"Not again?" said Samaroh, who was cleaning his mace.

"You're going to go after Bapho?" asked Nocturne.

"No. No. Not Baphomet." The knight was gazing off somewhere. "I just...want to try something. It's got nothing to do with that old goat. No."

"Don't tell me I'm going to end up with blood all over my hands again," said the priest.

"Well, you always do, don't you? Now shut it."

Samaroh muttered something under his breath, but he said no more. The rest looked at Iruna, who shook her head, smiled and put a finger to her lips.

"Whatever he wants to do," she whispered, "I guess you can't do anything about it. He's a stubborn, sarcastic, foolish old geezer, after all. The only difference, though, is that he had a big heart."

* * *

The sun's rays shone through the windows of Gondul. Vineis watched the dust motes whirl around in the light, glittering stars in the otherwise dim room of his.

He never really fully opened the windows in his room. Most people would immediately assume it was because he was afraid of the sun, but this was not true. Like most wizards of Rune-Midgard, Vineis was interested in researching magic.

However, it could be said that the experiments he carried out were not those of a normal wizard's.

He went back to watching the little wild lunatic he had captured earlier that day. The little animals were much easier to catch than fabres, and porings were not a valid specimen. This one watched him, its black eyes anxiously peering out from behind its long fringe of fur as it huddled in a corner of its cage.

Vineis leaned against his desk and watched it thoughtfully, occasionally blowing stray strands of hairs away from his face. His violet eyes never left the animal.

Suddenly a bell rang out. Without taking his eyes off the lunatic, the wizard clapped his hand down on a small clock beside him and pointed at the lunatic.

There was a brief flash of light, and a small squeal. The room was momentarily illuminated by the wizards Soul Strike, before the light faded. The lunatic was trembling violently, but it appeared to remain unaffected.

Vineis silently started the clock next to him and picked up a piece of parchment behind him, along with his quill. He wrote something on it, and then refocused on the lunatic.

He repeated the process several times, before the lunatic gave a shudder and was still. Vineis wrote down his recordings and put away everything before opening the window near the cage.

The lunatic did not move, but when he brushed its fur lightly with one gloved finger it trembled a little. Vineis sighed.

There was a knock on his door. A lot could be said about the knock, but for now it had a hesitant sound to it.

"Come in," said Vineis, still watching the little fluffy animal.

Sheuth slipped in, his golden-brown eyes dull and emotionless. He approached Vineis, but stopped respectfully about five feet away.

"What is it?" asked the wizard.

"I report that the Exodus Faction is exposed," replied the rogue shortly.

"You finally did what I asked you to do several weeks ago?" asked the wizard dryly, his violet eyes sliding to one side to look at Sheuth. "That took you long enough."

"I set about to your request the very moment you asked it of me, Vineis," said Sheuth, his face blank. "It is just that around this time the Exodus Faction is no longer guarded. The cancelling of the War of Emperium has led to many guild leaders being lax."

"I don't wonder." Vineis got off his desk. "But I doubt Adiemus would be lax at any time at all. Don't underestimate mercenaries, Sheuth. They have had many years on the battlefield. We may be the strongest guild around, but to them we are mere greenhorns. Send in the three. It is time they did something."

Sheuth inclined his head a little, and turned on his heel. The door shut behind him.

After a few minutes, the door opened again.

Vineis looked up from stroking the soft fur of the lunatic, which trembled every time his finger touched it. "Ah."

Standing in front of him were three people. One was a crusader, with lilac-coloured hair and a dark complexion. His blue eyes were like piercing chips of ice set into his dark, thin face.

The second was a monk. Her short, golden hair was not well looked after, but no one would dare tell her that - not to her hard face, and certainly not to her cold brown eyes.

The last was a sage. Like the crusader, he had a thin face, but with a sharp chin, high-bridged nose and thin lips. The shape of his green eyes indicated he was a Geffenese. His thick amethyst hair spilled over his shoulders into his wide collar.

"Sheuth told you about the job, did he not?" said the wizard.

The three nodded.

"Good. We need to begin bringing the Exodus Faction down. Your troops are enough to weaken the guild's defences and gain the agit. Begin at this week's War of Emperium."

"Nothing intended towards Adiemus?" asked the crusader. His lips barely moved when he spoke.

"No, nothing of that sort," replied Vineis. "Although feel free to dispose of the leader of the Defenders of Prontera if he tries to help. This is the time when we must show to the kingdom that the Black Cross is strong enough."

"I'm sure our guild is instilling fear in every man or woman who hears about us," said the monk.

Vineis sighed and stepped back. He surveyed the three of them.

"Zweihaender, Arlena and Oripheus," he said at last. "The three of my most elite warriors. You have such a reputation with the rest of the guilds - and indeed, the kingdom - and yet you are concerned over the fear of us? Intriguing.

"Well, first of all I am doing this to ensure that our lookouts on the kingdom are secure. We cannot have enemies running in from the south while we guard the north. Even if the Schwartzwald Republic poses a threat to us, there is no reason why it should not hire southern mercenaries.

"Secondly, I do wish to keep an eye on the people. The kingdom is ours to defend. Why not so?"

"It seems dubious, even so," said Arlena, the breeze blowing in through the nearby window making her hair slightly cover her face.

"Rest assured. I will not make a move on Greenwood Lake once we have gained control of the agit."

They nodded and turned to leave. Vineis watched them walk off and smiled a little to himself. As the door shut he turned back to the little lunatic in the cage.

"It takes at least fifteen bolts of Soul Strike to break the mind of a lunatic," he said softly. "Considering the difference in brain size, how many bolts would be needed to break the mind of a human?"

He chuckled softly.

* * *

Two days later, Valkron stuck his sword between the flagstones and wiped sweat off his forehead. He was on the fourth floor of Eyorbriggar.

"Ready, Valkron?" asked Khan, who was watching him.

"Yeah."

"Let's go."

Valkron let Khan go first, and whistled for his peco. The bird came clanking after him, honking in anticipation. It chewed on its bit as he mounted it.

He momentarily pressed into the bird's flanks with his heels. The peco honked and charged straight into the emperium room.

He whistled between his teeth as Iruna came clattering in behind him on her peco. The monsters there were _massive_.

"How long have we got, Samaroh?" he asked the priest, who was sitting sidesaddle behind Iruna.

"Well, considering that we had Emeth knocking down every guardian we passed, I suspect that you have a lot of time." The priest checked his watch. "Yep. You've got well over half an hour to go."

Valkron reined in his peco. "Well, then, breaking time."

When the horns blared they were well out of Eyorbriggar. If any guild had tried to enter the agit by now they would have seen a group consisting of the main body of the Raulus guild sitting at the steps of the front door and passing around a number of potions as they rested.

"Well, there's another castle taken by us," said Nocturne. "Valkron, are you planning to go for Yesnelph and Bergel soon?"

"So soon? No thank you. I'm getting bored with Britoniah myself, to be frank."

Eni gave him a white potion. "Could you pass that along to Emeth?"

Valkron did so. At the end of the line Kushana took it from Nalini and gave it to Emeth, who was sitting silently, half covered in soot and with a few bruises visible on his bare arms. He wordlessly accepted it.

"One of these days we've got to give Emeth a break," said the knight, who was grinning. "I don't think he's happy as just a guardian breaker."

"He's good for gate defences, though, I grant you that," said Nocturne, leaning forward to take a look at the tired wizard. "The problem is that we're invading, not being invaded."

"Yes, well...if any guild gets wind of us leaving our home turf I bet they'll try to siege us," said Valkron. "I bet that's what's going to happen soon."

"Heh."

"You seem to be quite knowledgeable on the guild wars, Nocturne," said Aramithar, who was also covered in soot.

The hunter shrugged. "When you've defended your home guild from monsters by hiring mercenaries, you learn a lot. It's not easy, but hey...who said it was?"

"You make it sound like it's easy," said Samaroh disdainfully, from behind Amaru. The blacksmith had gained a nasty cut along his arm from a mutant dragon.

"Either it's me, or your brain is so wired that you think I sound like that."

"It's your tone, Nocturne, don't tell me it's the way I think--"

"You could either stop arguing or get dunked in the river," said Iruna, from the other side of Valkron. "By me."

The two promptly fell silent.

After a little while, Nocturne said, "Hey, can you feel the ground?"

"What?" said the rest of the group.

"The ground's shaking."

"Maybe's it's just you," said the priest disgruntedly.

"Will you shut up, Samaroh? I'm being serious." The hunter knelt on the ground and put his ear to the soil. Everyone watched as he appeared to listen intently. Samaroh rolled his eyes and continued bandaging Amaru's arm.

"It's a peco," he said. "By the sound of it, a crusader's. And it's coming this way."

"The War of Emperium's over already, isn't it?" asked Zak.

Just as he spoke the blare of the horns reached their ears. They waited patiently until the sound had faded away, but no one managed to speak.

A peco charged through Eyorbriggar's gates.

However, although Nocturne was right, its rider was not a crusader. It was Raven. He jumped off as the peco veered away from the steps of Eyorbriggar, landing right in front of them very neatly on his feet.

"I'd recommend against doing that, Raven," remarked Iruna casually.

The rogue got to his feet. "No time to talk about that," he said curtly. "I'm here to warn you."

"Warn us? Against what?" asked Valkron, looking up in surprise at the rogue.

Raven's eyes narrowed. "I've just come from a session at Scarlet Palace. The elite troops of the Black Cross moved in today."

"How's Adiemus?" asked the knight, amidst the gasps from the others.

"He's fine, though still a bit shaken. Vineis means serious business if he assigns the elite troops to a castle. Even worse, he's sent in his most elite warriors."

"That can't be that bad," said Eni. "How elite can they get?"

"Well, we suffered from heavy casualties today," said the rogue. "Half of our warriors - Exodus Faction and Defenders of Prontera combined - are down. He's not afraid of using the three of them now, and I'm afraid he might turn them on you."

"Wait, what three?" asked Valkron. "Not...those...that you said..."

His voice trailed off. Raven was nodding, and he looked gravely serious.

"Yes," he said. "The Black Cross is moving in."

* * *

I swear this is my last chapter I'm posting up until June 6th is over. I will try to write the next few chapters when I have the time (especially when I'm bored/too tired to think), because this is an important part of the plot, but at the rate which I keep having to look for half my brain every two days or so I doubt I'm going to get anything up.

So see you. Besides, I won't even be here for a few days.


	36. The Guilds in Darkness

To celebrate the fact that I don't have exams for the rest of the week (I still do have exams, but that's later on), I give you chapter 36. Enjoy.

Chapter 36

**The Guilds in Darkness**

The fire in the great hearth burned brightly, giving out enough heat to keep the entire guild hall warm. Around the hall torches in brackets, set on the walls, blazed.

However, even the light they gave out was not enough to defeat the silence of a congregation of members from three guilds.

Everyone was seated around the massive guild hall of Scarlet Palace. No one was making a sound. No one was moving. Their eyes were still, fixed upon the sight of the three men sitting in the middle of the hall. There was a clear circle around these men; beyond the circle were the hundreds of warriors.

Valkron interlocked his fingers together. His face was as blank as a wall. His green eyes looked between Adiemus and Raven as he stayed in silence.

Raven looked no better. The rogue was staring at a point between Valkron and Adiemus. His expression was hard; his jaw was set; his eyes narrowed.

Adiemus was not looking at anyone. His eyes were closed. No one could blame him for this; he had bandages all over him. One of them was wrapped around his head and covering one of his eyes; it sported a faint red stain on one side.

No one was talking.

For a while, it remained that way. Then Valkron broke the silence.

"Tell me what is happening."

"We've told you over and over, Valkron," said Raven. "The Black Cross is sending out its elites. We don't have a choice. The guilds have to rise."

"I am not going to retaliate without evaluating the situation first, Raven," snapped the knight. "I am not a mercenary without reason. I'm sure you know that."

"Even so, the Black Cross is going too far--"

"Who is there to say that they're going too far, Raven? Apart from you? Guilds rise, conquer and fight. Their chance of surviving in a guild-fight-guild world depends on how long they can stand their ground. The Black Cross is doing what it does."

"Attacking the Exodus Faction's only agit is not justified--"

"Raven, I know you're still pretty irritated about losing your true purpose as a defender of Prontera," said Valkron sharply. "However, it does not mean you can simply accuse the Black Cross of felony."

"Since when did I accuse the Black Cross of felony? I am saying that they should know better than to attack the Exodus Faction at this time of the year!"

"Adiemus, is it considered a crime to abruptly attack an opposing guild?" asked Valkron, his eyes not leaving Raven's face.

They waited. After the Black Cross' attempted attack on Scarlet Palace had left Adiemus shaken, he had not been responding quickly. Iruna had carefully taken Valkron aside and quietly warned him that the crusader was prone to delayed shock.

Finally Adiemus said, "No."

"I find this absolutely outrageous," said Raven, clearly enraged by his reply. "First your daughter goes off to marry that scum Vineis. Then she gives Apocalypse Ultima a boot in the rear out of Bright Arbor, completely crushing our chances of forming an alliance with him. Now you're making it look like you're siding the Black Cross completely! Come on, Adiemus, you've never been this soft before!"

"Give him a rest, Raven, it's not his fault," said Valkron, glancing at the pale crusader. "He's losing blood as it is, too. I'm not going to address this problem of the Black Cross making an unprecedented move on the Exodus Faction, Raven. I want to know why Vineis is using his elite troops to move in."

"Obviously because he doesn't underestimate us, Valkron," said the rogue sourly. "He's not a mercenary. Sheuth isn't, either. They think mercenaries are too rough for their guild."

"Hah, and he invited me to join," Valkron remarked dryly. "But he's right. We don't usually play by the rules."

"We do."

"Not _their_ rules."

"Ah." Raven sighed and looked away.

"If he's using his elite troops, he'll move in on the others as well," continued the knight. "Apocalypse Ultima, the Legionnaires...I wouldn't be surprised if he moved in on the Seven Eyes."

Adiemus cleared his throat. They looked at him. His eyes were still closed.

"The Black Cross," he said, in a hoarse, tired voice, "has formed a war alliance with the Seven Eyes. The agreement was signed...a week ago. They call it the Fire of Heaven Alliance."

"Yeah, right," said Raven disgustedly.

"And why is it called so?" asked Valkron quietly.

"Because...the Black Cross' superior power and numbers, combined with the Seven Eyes' independence and tactics is said to be able to blaze through all obstacles."

"Bunch of _al'kravahk_," said the rogue.

"Whatever," said Valkron, glancing at Raven this time. "So...what do you plan to do about it?"

No one said anything. The knight looked around in surprise at them.

"You're just going to sit around and do nothing?" he said. "Even you, Raven? I recall you growling at me because I'm doing nothing about them."

"It's not like we can do anything about it, can we?" said Raven. "_Emisht ihk'la tredian messikt_."

Valkron gave him a look. "Why are you talking Morrocian?"

"He says it gives him more words to speak," said Adiemus.

"Oh, really? _Avasht kraddin m'elhkla, ihk'la tredian ul'issimit_." Valkron smiled mirthlessly at Raven's enraged stare. "You're not the only one who can speak perfect Morrocian here. Remember Al'Zahur."

"I bloody well remember it!"

"Right." Valkron got to his feet; everyone's eyes turned to follow him. "I'm leaving for Repherion now."

"You can't just go!" protested Raven.

"Then suggest to me something we can actually _do_ and not just waste our time talking."

Raven gaped at Valkron. Adiemus opened his good eye and sighed.

"Let him go, Raven," he said. "He's right. We can't suggest anything at the moment...well, anything that works. You know Valkron's practical about what he discusses. Hard to satisfy him, but then again that's the reason why he's so successful. Besides, it's late and I need sleep. Badly."

Valkron nodded. "You should, you look tired to the bone. I'm taking my entire guild off with me. See you."

As the knight made his way to where Scarlet Palace's Kafra employee was standing, the crowd parted in front of him. The Raulus guild members quickly detached themselves from the mass of people and hastily joined him in the whirling portal.

Adiemus and Raven watched him go, before sitting in silence as the members of the Exodus Faction and the Defenders of Prontera moved away, out of the great hall. Eventually they were the only two people left sitting there.

"Are we going to tell him our plans?" asked Raven.

"No." Adiemus looked down at his hands. "Not yet. Valkron has not fully established his presence over the Britoniah region."

"By the time he does we're probably under the Black Cross," said the rogue.

"Not true," replied the crusader. He looked up at Raven and smiled a little. "We still have Apocalypse Ultima."

* * *

Back in Repherion, everyone was watching Valkron anxiously. By 'everyone', this meant the group of people Valkron knew and trusted, including Silas, Zak, Kumahar, Nalini, Kala, Aramithar and Kushana.

Finally he said, "Right. I want details on the three elite fighters Vineis has got."

"What are their names again?" asked Nalini. "One of them sounds familiar."

"We'll go slow with it, then," said the knight. "Who knows...Zweihaender? Put up your hand if you do."

The only person who responded was Iruna. Valkron gave her a look of surprise.

"You know him?"

"He's a crusader," she replied. "In the Junoan Church he's an exorcist; in the Order of Juno he's a sergeant-at-arms. I'm glad I don't go to the same barracks as he does."

"What do you mean?" asked Emeth, looking up from the table. Kushana was next to him.

"Zweihaender doesn't look much," Iruna replied. "He's dark, with a thin face and blue eyes like chips of ice. He's also known as the Lone Wolf amongst the younger crusaders, and he walks with a strange loping motion that really looks like a wolf's gait."

"So why is he one of Vineis' best?"

Iruna's eyes narrowed, and her face darkened. Valkron took a step back.

"He's on the blacklist for unnecessary purging and merciless exorcism," she said. "You can consider him a religious zealot. I'm not saying that I don't have faith in my religion, but Zweihaender...well...just has a bit too much of it."

"I'm not surprised that that's coming from a man whose name means 'two-handed sword' in Junoan," said Emeth.

"Well, he does think that salvation can only be achieved by one stroke of the sword," said Iruna, her eyes still narrowed. "He constantly has this belief that his purpose in life is to save everyone from the demons of the world, which he calls servants of Satan. Zweihaender is also reputed for his hatred of anyone who abuses power."

"Nice combination," said Samaroh.

"That's...fairly frightening," admitted the knight.

Iruna smiled grimly. "Incidentally, he asked for my hand in marriage."

"_What?_"

"Don't worry, it was a few years back. I turned him down sharply. I won't ever stay with someone like him."

"And you had to tell me that," said Valkron, looking heavily disgruntled.

"Thought it might spice up the conversation a bit."

"It did." Valkron shook his head. "Thank you, Iruna. Moving on to the next person...Arlena."

Silas put up his hand, his face expressionless. Valkron raised an eyebrow.

"How did you know her?"

"She's a monk," he said. "Just like me. An orphan brought up on the streets of Prontera."

"That can't be _that_ bad, can it?" asked Emeth, looking tentative.

Silas shrugged. "Depends on what you think is bad. Arlena grew up rough. There are some rumours about her still circulating the monastery, but I'd rather not go into them."

"Yes, spare us the detail," agreed Valkron.

"She's got a very distinctive attack style," Silas continued, while Zak examined his sword blade behind him. "During the War of Emperium she has a bad habit of using a hide clip whenever a wizard, priest or another monk is around. I say 'habit', because she does it automatically, and 'bad', because it usually means complete obliteration when she starts doing it."

There was silence. For a quite a long time.

Valkron broke it with a "How?"

"It means that she begins to locate vulnerable warriors and pummels them into a pulp."

After a while Emeth said, "I don't know what's worse - the fact that she does that, or the way you said it so matter-of-factly."

"I've never got the receiving end of her Asura Strike, touch wood," said the monk. "But I've seen it happen to others, and it's not a pleasant sight. She's often the turning point in a battle, since she doesn't have mercy to spare for her victims."

"Thank you," said Valkron, in a strained voice. "I am beginning to feel slightly hesitant on this, but I think I don't actually have a choice. Let's just move on. Does anyone know who Oripheus is?"

"He's a sage," said Nalini.

"Really? You know him?"

To his surprise the sage shook her head. "No, I'm sorry."

"But you just said--"

"I only know him because my friends up at the research institute in Juno talk about him all the time," she said. "I can't tell you what they said about him. It's mostly his appearance. No one knows anything about him because he's always in the advanced section of every library in Juno, and probably so deep in them that someone has to go and dig him out every now and then. So I've heard."

"Sounds like a heavy researcher. Are you sure that's all you know?"

"Yes."

"Looks like we'll have to leave him for now, then--"

"Um...Valkron?" said Samaroh.

"Yes?"

The priest pointed at Emeth, who was holding his hand up.

"Oh. Sorry, Emeth. Yes?"

The wizard gave Valkron a stare that made the knight ask, "I think you're not happy I brought up the topic, am I right?"

"Oh, yeah," said the wizard. "Hell yeah."

"Okay, then let's get this over with."

"Oripheus is a battle sage," said Emeth. "He can do close combat as well as cast spells that knock your socks off. Battle sages are designed to support and attack at the same time. Let's just say that they can cast spells while they physically attack others, which makes us look like right wimps."

"You're kidding."

"Do I look like I am?"

"No."

"Good. Thought so. You should know that we wizzies are vulnerable to sages unless we've got a priest around, and even so that only raises our chances of successfully defeating a battle sage by about...zero point three percent, on the outside. As their name suggests, battle sages are all about melee. Hard melee too, I might add."

"Somehow whenever you talk analytical it gets a bit complicated," said Valkron. "But when my brain starts to try and work out what you actually mean, I feel slightly happier because I don't have to just sit around and listen. No, you don't have to explain it again, I understood what you said."

"It sounds like we've got a team that's near impossible to defeat," said Samaroh. "Iruna, does Zweihaender use Sacrifice?"

"How am I supposed to know? I don't know him."

"Sorry."

"Why do you ask that question?" asked Valkron suspiciously.

"Because a battle sage and a Sacrifice crusader is a feared team to defeat on its own," explained the priest. "I've heard stories about these two-man teams. You don't want to know what they do."

"Zweihaender's trademark spell is Grand Cross," said Iruna. "He uses it. A lot."

Valkron chewed on his lip for a few minutes. Then he said, "All right. I'm thinking that we should start mobilising our defences for any invasion of any sort. We'll need to be prepared for forced sieges and attempted invasions. Emeth, how many people do we have in our guild now?"

"Since yesterday, nearly a hundred."

"Good. We'll need to distribute them evenly over Repherion, Merseitzdeitz and Eyorbriggar. The portals leading into Yesnelph and Bergel are still open and unguarded; I'm not risking any sneaky guild taking Eyorbriggar from under our noses. Kushana, Nocturne, how's the patrol squad turning out?"

"Perfectly fine," said Kushana. "They're chomping at the bit, ready for action."

"Right. Station them on all three castles."

Everyone in the room sat up. Valkron was beginning to talk steadily - a sign that he was truly gearing up for war.

"Nocturne, as part of the trappers I need you to set up defences in all castles with your group," he said. "Do remember that your bows can come into use if all fails."

"Got it."

"Khan, I'll need you to get assassins to guard the third floors of the three castles. keep the kids out of the way this time, I don't expect any mercy from anyone. Iruna, you might need to keep guard at the first and second floors along with the other knights and crusaders. Emeth, we've got a few wizards with us; I want you to bring them along as our gate defence. Samaroh, split the battle and support priests up and divide them equally throughout the three castles. Same goes for you, Eni and Aramithar--"

"Can I ask a question?" said Eni, raising her hand.

"Yes?"

"Why are we setting up _defences_, not _offences_?"

The world held its breath. Valkron's stunned look indicated he had not been expecting such a question.

Finally he said, "I'm going to attack a castle in Greenwood Lake."

There was an uproar. Khan reached Valkron first and gave him a shaking by the shoulders.

"We can't have you going alone again, damn it!" he shouted, still shaking Valkron. "We've already had enough trouble with Baphomet the last time!"

"If you're attacking Adiemus or Alya no one's going to forgive you!" Iruna said frantically.

"What the hell is going on?" said Emeth, somewhat belatedly.

Everyone's voices were raised as they shouted at the knight. Valkron was still being given a good shake by Khan, and although he was trying to make an effort to talk, he wasn't succeeding.

Suddenly a massive gale struck the room. The crowd broke up, too distracted with trying to hold on to something instead of talking Valkron out of his idea.

The wind died down a few minutes later, although there was still a huge magic circle spanning the entire floor of the room. Emeth was standing on the table.

"I was sure something would work," he said, looking around at his windblown targets. "Wasn't so sure what, though. Right, now that we have peace and order restored, we shall get down to the business of Valkron in a much more organised way." He got down from the table and strode over to where Valkron was.

"Firstly, he never said which castle he was going to go after," said the wizard to the room at large, clearly ignoring the fact that everyone else was still picking themselves up off the floor. "Secondly, he never said he was going alone. So, Valkron, present your defence."

"It's Bamboo Grove Hill," said the knight, still looking shaken.

Emeth stared at him. Then he said, "You are mad."

* * *

Vineis leaned back in his chair and gazed at the three standing in front of him.

"You failed to claim Scarlet Palace," he said quietly. It was not a question.

Zweihaender coughed. "No one told us that the Defenders of Prontera was with the Exodus Faction."

"Yes, but do remember you have cleared out alliances of 4 guilds before." Vineis leaned forward and steepled his fingers in front of his face. "I expect much more of you next time round. Now that you have failed, the guilds will begin building alliances again, and we will face tougher competition.

"I do not want that to happen. Enough casualties have taken place. Hundreds of people have been heavily injured, because they do not realise that their alliances are not enough to counter our strength." Vineis closed his eyes. "I have no wish to destroy the guilds. They are necessary for the running of this kingdom - small as it may be, small as they may be."

"Then why are we fighting the Exodus Faction?" asked Arlena.

"Because they have a vantage point in Greenwood Lake," answered the wizard, without opening his eyes. "Scarlet Palace is a vulnerable place. It is not as protected as the others are. Bamboo Grove Hill is safer."

"Bamboo Grove Hill is haunted," said Zewihaender.

"Do we still believe in old wives' tales?" asked Vineis, opening his eyes, and looking at the crusader. "This is a new world we live in, Zweihaender. A new age. Adiemus is strong in his own right, and I have no doubt that alongside Raven he will succeed." He sighed. "Now that you have failed in your move to claim Scarlet Palace, they will be watching for future attacks. We cannot do anything much for now."

"So what are we going to do now?" Arlena asked.

"What can we do?" Vineis relaxed. "People now know our motives. We should lie low." He frowned slightly. "I noticed Oripheus...has not said a word since everything began."

As one Zweihaender and Arlena turned to the third member of their group. The sage was standing a little farther away from Vineis's desk, and half in the shadows where the room was in darkness.

"He's not said much when we were fighting," said the monk, "but he appears to be quite satisfied with what we are doing."

Vineis raised an eyebrow. "Satisfied? How?"

Arlena shrugged. "Oripheus has his ways."

The sage looked up, his face expressionless. His thin lips had not moved throughout the entire time, nor had his expression actually changed.

"Oripheus?" said Vineis. "What is your word on this?"

They waited for him to answer. The sage appeared to think about Vineis' question for a few minutes, before opening his mouth.

"It...has been fine."

"Fine?" asked Vineis.

"Yes." Oripheus nodded briefly. "Fine."

"You are satisfied with what you have done?" asked Vineis, in a ludicrous tone.

"No. I am satisfied with what we are doing."

"That's it? No other thoughts to your work?"

"No."

"You know he doesn't care about what work he's given, he just does it," said Arlena. "It's not as if he's been programmed to do it. He just does his work."

Zweihaender raised his eyebrows. Vineis' eyes had softened.

"Oripheus, I have never heard you question my orders. It is not always necessary for you to obey."

The sage blinked. "It does not matter."

"Well, it does to me." Vineis leaned back. "People may think that I am turning you into a human with no free will. This is not true. You are not a slave."

"It does not matter."

"Why doesn't it?"

Oripheus blinked again. "Because it is what I want."

"To serve someone else and not to live for yourself?"

"I live for myself, by serving you." There was a tone in the sage's voice that indicated the conversation was over.

Vineis looked puzzled, but he did not press the matter. "Well, then, I shall let you take time off. I doubt, however, that you will be off for long."

"As long as we get something to do," said Arlena, "that's fine."

They turned and left, their footsteps echoing in the room.

* * *

"So...why do you think you can defeat the ghost of Bamboo Grove Hill?" asked Iruna.

"You mean, 'What makes you think you can defeat the ghost of Bamboo Grove Hill?'" said Valkron disgruntledly. "Well, for one I think we need to help Adiemus reinforce the grounds around them."

"You can't just go and leave us to defend the three castles of Britoniah," said Eni crossly. "Without you the guilds will think that we've become weak, and they'll attack us."

"What, and you can't fight back without me?" snapped Valkron, who was clearly in a bad mood after being crowded by the entire senior guild. "Come on, don't tell me you'd actually give up just because I'm not around! If I was ever seriously injured what would you do? Panic and give up the castle to our attackers? I'd rather get my neck sliced op--"

Iruna clapped her hand over his mouth. "Not too far, Valkron, you're giving us bad luck," she said, grinning, at his astounded expression. "But he's right, Eni. Think about it."

Eni sighed. "Forget it."

"They won't expect us to leave Britoniah unless Valkron does succeed in getting Bamboo Grove Hill as his own," said Emeth, who had been watching them. "After that...boom."

"Boom?" asked Eni and Iruna, looking mystified.

"Yeah, boom. They just crash into us and hope we give way."

While Eni and Iruna stared at him, Khan sighed. "This is Baphomet all over again."

"Hey, what was so bad about that?" asked Valkron angrily, freeing himself from Iruna's hand. "At least you had something out of it, right?"

"He means don't get yourself so heavily beaten up again," said Samaroh, who was folding linen. "I wanted to say that, but I didn't have the chance to till Khan said it."

The knight sighed.

"Well, once his mind's made up, he'll do it," said Emeth, shrugging. "Can't say much against it, can we? Anyway, he's an old guy. You all know what to expect from old men."

Everyone, even Eni, started laughing. Valkron joined in several minutes later. Emeth clapped him on the back.

"So...when are you going to do it?" he asked.

The whole room fell silent.

Valkron looked up at Emeth's serious face. "The next session, of course. I'm not holding it off any longer. We've wasted too much time."

The wizard pondered this for a minute or two. "Yeah, true. And the Dark is coming along, too..."

"I've always wanted to ask you that, Emeth."

"Huh? About what?"

"The Dark."

Emeth stared at him. "You...don't know?"

Valkron shook his head.

"You really don't know?"

Valkron nodded.

The next one from Emeth was like the blast of a horn. Valkron nearly toppled backwards off his chair. "_How can you not know? It happens every single year!_"

"Don't blame him, Emeth," said Iruna. "He hasn't had a magical education like most of us do."

"What do you mean by that?" There was a _ziiiip_ of cloth; Emeth had pointed swiftly at Nocturne and Kushana, who leaned back to avoid his finger even though they were sitting quite far away from him. "They're hunters, they don't use magic! They know about the Dark!"

"When you're guarding your guild house at one in the morning during the thirteenth month, you get a pretty good idea of what the Dark is, eventually," said Nocturne, leaning away carefully. "And fairly quickly, too. No one ever tells us what it is."

"Do _you_ know about the Dark?" the wizard asked the two young teenagers watching the entire scene in bewilderment.

"Mummy told me about the Dark so's I wouldn't go out at night," said Niki-Haru. "I didn't believe her, until I had a look out of my window."

Emeth looked agonised, but turned to Kyo. "What about you?"

"We get lots."

"See? Even these kids know what the Dark is!"

"Calm down, Emeth!" snapped Samaroh, looking up from his folding. "Just tell him, you idiot! No one's got the time to stand here and listen to you raging about how much Valkron doesn't know about the Dark! Get on with it!"

It was quite something to see Samaroh in such a bad mood, but completely another to experience it. Emeth's outrage died down almost immediately.

"Okay, okay," he said. "Fine. I'll explain it."

He sat down. Valkron, after seeing that Emeth really wasn't going to blast him again, drew up his chair.

"Right. So. The story goes that several hundred years after the world was created, demons still roamed the lands and fought with the humans, yes? We've had powerful warriors to fight them as well, such as the mage-knight Thanatos, who prevented Surtur, the king of the giants of Muspelheim, from burning up Midgard. Well...before him came the Eight, who fought most of the demons of the world.

"With their magic and whatever else they used to fight the demons, they sealed away a large number of lesser and greater demons. No one knows how many, but we know there were a lot. The seals can't be broken unless there's a huge amount of evil going on in this world.

"Well, you know us, being humans and all. The seals began to weaken several thousand years ago, but the weakening process began to speed up around the time the Old Empire became corrupted. Ever since then the souls of the demons have been escaping back down to Midgard and taking on their old forms again, thus disrupting the balance of the world. One of the earliest discrepancies is the lengthening of our year, so we now have a thirteenth month."

"Is the Dark Portal any way related to it?"

"I think so. According to research done at Juno the magical atmosphere fluctuated so much that one of the seals broke and released a large amount of demon souls. The seals have been collecting evil souls though, as well, so I guess that was how Argath Iruvedla was resurrected."

"Don't even remind me about him." Valkron frowned. "What do you mean, evil souls?"

"The seals kept the demons away from Midgard because they were attracted to evil. The other effect is that they collected human souls as well."

"Sounds good."

"Sounds good? The problem was that the souls were supposed to go to Niflheim, where they will stay until the end of the world! The seals aren't permanent. Like the spell Argath used to absorb the souls of the world, when the seals reach their saturation point they will descend onto Midgard and release the built-up energy of the souls into a place with a high magical atmosphere." Emeth sighed. "The Dark is so called because during the thirteenth month the world's magical atmosphere fluctuates to fit in with the coming year. It leaves weak spots in the atmosphere, like holes. The magical atmosphere now slows down the rate of absorption of souls by the seals, and prevents the demon souls from coming back here by creating a barrier between Midgard and the seals. If there are holes the souls can easily make their way down through the weakened seals while the seals collect even more fresh souls."

Valkron raised an eyebrow. "So...are you saying that they are above our heads?"

"They can be anywhere," said Emeth. "Other dimensions. Time and space don't pose any problem for the seals."

"I didn't know all this," said Nocturne. "Interesting stuff. So how long can those seals last?"

"The sages in Juno estimate it to be until the end of the world." Emeth shrugged. "The seals will only weaken, not break. It is said that when the Eight finally reappear on Midgard as themselves, the seals will break, and the final battle will take place. There. The Dark explained."

"That explains the horrid atmosphere during the thirteenth month?" asked Kushana, looking horrified. She wasn't the only one.

"Yep."

"Hey, fellas," said Zak, who was looking at a calendar at the far side of the room. "I just realised the next guild war is tomorrow."

Everyone looked at Valkron.

* * *

OMG WHEN WILL THIS CHAPTER END??

Anyway.

The Battle of Al'Zahur is not going to be explained in any part of this story, so I think I better explain it here. It IS an important element, however.

Ten years before the events of Warriors of the World (the first one), Turtle General and some other monster I forgot (also in the first story) made an alliance and attacked Comodo. After Comodo was left in ruins they headed across the desert for Morroc.

Comodo sent out a warning message to Morroc, and Morroc sent out a distress signal to the other cities of the kingdom. The cities responded by sending what they were designed to do - for example, Alberta sent merchants to help sell potions and weapons, and Geffen sent wizards to help defend, and blacksmiths to repair and forge weapons. However, there were not enough available city defenders (and that time guilds were purely non-existant, save for the default associations).

Prontera addressed this situation very quickly with a hastily called-up council of war. The Prontera Chivalry, seeing how critical the situation was, also decided to utilise the Mercenary Division, Military Department.

Valkron was one of the mercenary knights who were called to lead a troop of these mercenaries into battle. In total, about 5000 mercenaries fought alongside city defenders for the year they battled against the two monsters.

However, at the end of the year, one of the monsters was killed. To this day no one knows who killed the beast, but the mercenaries argued over it. There were massive rewards on the heads of both monsters.

So for the next two years, the mercenaries warred between themselves at Morroc, as well as with Turtle General. There was much rebellion and some troops turned against comrades. Valkron's troop suffered the misfortune of being attacked by rebels, and from a group 0f 30 mercenaries, after being attacked five times, only 10 survived. These 10 mercenaries decided to return to Prontera to report, and travelled through the desert. Out of the 10 only 4 came out of the desert, Valkron being one. Adiemus was also one of them.

By the time they reported the matter to Prontera, the mercenary war had escalated into a massive battle. Valkron was sent out to stop the final war, which was to take place at a large oasis called Al'Zahur, but he was attacked and delayed by Turtle General's minions. By the time he came to the oasis, the battle had already begun.

The rest of the Raulus guild (the senior members) were all in the war. Also in are the other mercenaries - Raven, Kuroihi, some few other people.

Near the end of the battle Turtle General took the opportunity to attack the mercenaries and cause havoc. Shortly after he did, however, mercenaries reported seeing the monster being attacked by a wizard. No one knows who the wizard is, or how he looks like, but he defeated the monster and disappeared. He is still known as "Child of the Devil", because of the ferocity and ruthlessness with which he had attacked the monster.

The battle ended with Valkron charging into where the leaders of the two divisions were fighting, and consecutively defeating them singlehandedly. Out of 5000 mercenaries, only 200 survived the Battle of Al'Zahur, but there have been many memories left behind...

(note: if I have the time, I can _probably_ write about the Battle of Al'Zahur. But Warriors of the World is already a long series, and I don't know if anyone wants to read something that took place 10 years ago before reading the end of Warriors of the World. With the same characters, too.)


	37. Ghost in the Castle

Chapter 37

**Ghost of the Castle**

Emeth patted Valkron on the head.

"Oi!"

"Ready for it, mate?"

Valkron glared at him, but there was nothing in the glare. "What do _you_ think?"

"You look fine to me," replied the wizard happily. "Just like how you did when you went off to face Baphomet."

"That means I don't look fine?"

"Why are you asking me?" asked Emeth, with a grin so wide his head was in danger of falling apart into half.

Valkron sighed, and, much to the wizard's astonishment, buried his face in his hands.

"I'm a fool, aren't I?" he said, half muffled.

"That depends on what you think of it."

Valkron lifted his face and looked away. "I'm going to try my luck, in any case. Bamboo Grove Hill is probably a once in a lifetime thing."

"Oh, hell yeah, once in a lifetime if you don't surrender or if you don't win."

Valkron gave him a look. "You're not exactly helping, you know."

"Since when do I ever get told by you that I did manage to help?" asked Emeth casually.

The knight made a strange "aaaaaarrrgghhh" sound and buried his head in his hands. Emeth panicked slightly.

"Okay, okay, I didn't mean that!"

"Stop torturing the poor man," said Iruna,as she walked towards them. "He's had enough already."

Emeth sighed and shook his head. "Well, he should have said."

Suddenly the horns blared. Emeth jumped two feet into the air in shock.

"Off you go now, Valkron," said Iruna, prising his hands off his head and pulling him upright. The knight had gone white.

She gently pushed him to the gates of Repherion, where his peco was waiting for him. He turned to mount, still quite pale, but she pulled him back.

"I'll be waiting for you," she said softly to him, looking into his eyes. "Promise you'll come back. We need you."

Valkron stared back into her eyes in apprehension. Then he relaxed a little. "I promise, don't worry. I _will_ come back."

He kissed her on the cheek, before turning and mounting his peco. Iruna watched as he galloped away, towards Hlin, who had obliged to warp him to Payon before she left for Geffen to wait for the war to end.

The Kafra employee cast a portal right in Valkron's peco's path. As it thumped straight for the portal, Iruna saw the knight look over his shoulder and wave at her, before disappearing into the white-blue light. When it had faded he had gone.

Iruna clasped her hands together and briefly prayed for him before turning to go back to Repherion to defend it.

* * *

The horns blared across Greenwood Lake. Adiemus hefted his pike in his hands, feeling the weight of it.

"Think we're going to get attacked by the Black Cross today?" asked Raven, checking the sharpness of his dagger.

"Not too sure, but I'm not going to let it pass."

"Well, we've got Apocalypse Ultima watching our backs," said the rogue. "If the worse comes to the worse, S will charge in. He's not too happy with the Black Cross either - he talks like they don't bother him, but I know for a fact he's been wanting to kick some Black Cross a--"

"Raven!"

"--rear since they took his castle through the Seven Eyes," said Raven coolly, without any break in his speech.

Adiemus gave him a look. "You do have to remember there are women and teenagers here."

"Yeah, but I bet they know more than I do in terms of 'words'." Raven laughed at Adiemus' expression. "Younger generation. Don't hope they're still innocent."

"Whatever."

They watched as several small guilds attacked the Legionnaires' gate defences, not far off. From where they were they could hear the clashing of weapons and the enraged shouts of warriors on both sides.

"Looks like small guilds are trying to prove they're not being a financial burden on the kingdom either," said Raven. "They're not being very good at it, though. Someone didn't have a marc card in his clothes...heh, easy bait for people to pick off--"

"Raven?"

The rogue turned, Adiemus was staring in another direction.

"Who's that down there?"

Raven had a look.

"Looks like someone on a peco, moving very fast in this direction," he said, at last. "You can't see that? Whoever it is isn't that far off--"

"No, I can see," said the crusader. "Just...not very well. My eyesight is blurring if I look too hard."

Raven took a look at Adiemus. The crusader frowned at him. "What's with your face right next to mine?"

"Just having a look at your eyes," said the rogue, frowning. "They seem a bit cloudy to me."

"Are you sure?" Adiemus raised a hand to his eyes in alarm. "Why?"

"I don't know, how can I tell? Hey, wait a minute - that's Valkron!"

Adiemus spun around to see Raven pointing at the little dot heading straight for Scarlet Palace - or had been. It had now changed course and was charging straight towards the silent, unoccupied castle between Bright Arbor and Holy Shadow.

"Where the heck is he heading for?" asked Adiemus ludicrously, squinting to keep the little dot in sight. "The Seven Eyes has not been having a good time! He can't be thinking--"

"He's not heading for Bright Arbor, Adiemus," said Raven. "He's going for...Bamboo Grove Hill."

There was silence. The two of them looked at each other.

"_Not Bamboo Grove Hill!_"

* * *

Valkron got off his peco once he arrived at the castle. Like its name suggested, it had been built atop a hill, in the middle of a clearing surrounded by nothing but bamboo. Mosquitoes buzzed around Valkron as he tied his peco to a bamboo tree. He patted Evlor and went off into the bamboo.

After a few minutes of walking through the green calmness of the bamboo grove he came out at the base of the hill. He looked up at the peaceful castle above him and sighed.

Valkron walked around the base of the hill until he found the gates. He made his way up the hill to the gates and stood in front of them.

The gates were heavily rusted - so rusted that they stood open. Valkron licked his finger and held it up to the air briefly. He then licked it again. It was a method that Emeth had taught him, on how to detect if there had been any magic.

If there was, there would have been a tangy taste to his finger. But there wasn't. Valkron looked worried. The other guilds had abandoned Bamboo Grove Hill to the point that it had reached a stage where it had been forgotten. He recalled reading notes in the Guild Liaison Office the day he had sneaked in as a merchant.

_"If a castle is not surrounded or occupied by humans the spells around it will progressively deactivate over time until the magic is completely dormant. The only way to reactivate the spells of a castle is to break the Emperium that resides deep within its heart, but this is often a difficult task due to the large number of monsters that move into the castle due to the lack of protective spells."_

Valkron frowned. He didn't have a choice.

He walked up to the doors of the castle and saw, on the wall next to the door, the bronze plaque Adiemus had mentioned.

_Whoever worthy of me will gain my trust._

There was algae growing on it. Valkron shook his head and went on.

He had to use all his might to make a gap big enough for him to pass through between the doors of the castle. Before he stepped over the threshold into the darkness beyond, he caught his breath.

Then he walked in.

The interior of Bamboo Grove Hill looked just like any other castle, but this time the architecture was more Southern. The carvings on the walls depicted Southern warriors in the past, while the windows had, instead of wooden shutters, blinds made of bamboo strips.

Valkron walked slowly into the hall, looking warily around. His scythe was slung over his shoulder; the blade had been carefully wrapped in black oilskin. Valkron did not want to risk decapitating himself.

He was still gazing around when he heard a creak from behind him. The knight turned around just in time to see the heavy wooden doors shut. Not slam shut - just close behind him, with a soft _clunk_.

Then there was a ghostly combination of voices that merged into one - a male voice that sounded dry and old and threatening. Valkron felt the chill in the hall, and the hairs on the back of his neck rose.

_"Who dares to venture into my hall?"_

* * *

Emeth stood atop the battlements of Repherion with Kushana and watched as a small guild attempted to break through Merseitzdeitz's gate defences.

"They seem very spirited in their efforts to throw us off the ladder," remarked Kushana, also watching the fight. "How many people do we have now?"

"About seventy, coming to eighty," replied Emeth. "I'm glad we've got Iruna and those three helping out over there."

From where they were standing they could hear Kumahar's music playing. There were flashes of light from where Iruna was fighting. Emeth, who was sensitive to energy and magical presences in the atmosphere, could feel the surge of physical energy, albeit faintly, whenever Silas used one of his combos. Considering that Merseitzdeitz had not been built close to Repherion, this was impressive.

"Zak's having fun," said Kushana. "Look, there he goes-- oh, he's gone again."

"He appears and disappears like it's easy for him," said the wizard, turning to watch him. "That's why it's hard to find him...unless someone casts Ruwach or Sight."

Nocturne, who was also in Merseitzdeitz, was firing arrows furiously into the thick crowd. After a while the crowd began to thin. People were running off from the main body; they had just experienced the cursing ability of his hunter bow.

Suddenly Khan was next to them. Emeth jumped a little in shock.

"I thought you were in Eyorbriggar," said Kushana, surprised.

"We've got company," said the assassin. "Albrecht's Eyorbriggar-based patrol division has just spotted a large group heading this way. He's now finding out who they are."

"And how are we going to find out if you're here?" asked Emeth.

"Don't worry, we figured out how. Ah - there they are."

They turned to look. Across the river, behind Repherion and Merseitzdeitz, there was a bright light blinking merrily at them from the highest tower of Eyorbriggar.

Khan watched the flashes intently, before saying, "It's the Legionnaires."

"That's a good system," said Emeth admiringly. "Although it wouldn't be useful if we sent messages across guild areas, judging by the fact that they're so far apart."

"We've been thinking out a way to do it, but I'll only suggest them to Valkron when he gets back," said Khan. "Now's a good time to test them, though. Get ready, both of you."

The message was passed on to Merseitzdeitz. Soon all three castles were bustling with activity, especially around the gates. Emeth had to coordinate all the troops in charge, and running from castle to castle was something he was not used to. Hlin had great presence of mind to teleport him from Repherion to Eyorbriggar.

"I can't believe...Valkron has...to put up with this," he panted, stopping to catch his breath for a moment at Repherion. Kushana was helping him stand. He had nearly collapsed after visiting both Eyorbriggar and Repherion three times in quick succession in order to check that everything was all right.

"Well, it's tough being a guild leader," she replied. "But as Valkron always tells people - when the going gets tough, the tough gets going."

"Yeah, but right now he's fighting in Bamboo Grove Hill!" Emeth coughed a little. "If he doesn't come back from that fight, I swear that when I go to Valhalla I'm going to kick his butt every day until the end of the world."

* * *

Valkron took a few steps back, away from the apparition in front of him.

He had turned around to find the ghost in front of him. Like Adiemus had said, it had a skull for a head, although its hands were covered in flesh. Thin patches of skin remained on the skull, where wispy strands of long white hair were still attached. The sockets of the skull were glowing with a dim, eerie white light.

The ghost was wearing simple clothes - a baggy shirt and trousers - and a pair of clogs. Its left hand rested on a long Payonese sword in its scabbard.

Valkron stared at it for a couple of minutes longer before he bowed low to the ghost.

"My name is Valkron," he said, still bowed, "and I have come to battle you for the ownership of Bamboo Grove Hill."

_"Another contender?"_ said the ghost. It threw back its head and laughed an eerie, ghostly laugh that echoed through the hall.

_"Many warriors have sought to defeat me and claim this castle as their own,"_ it continued, as Valkron tried to block out the ringing echoes of the laugh without moving. _"Many have died, or surrendered in their attempt. I warn you, warrior, that you are in grave danger if you wish to persist."_

"I will not change my mind," said the knight, still bowed.

_"You will not change? Are you so confident?"_

"Yes." Valkron straightened up. "I am confident."

The ghost stepped back, appearing to look Valkron up and down.

_"I sense fear,"_ it said. _"Fear is around you. And yet you will fight it to fight me?"_

"Yes," said Valkron. He was, in fact, on the brink of forfeiting the battle...but the guild's future depended on this. The _kingdom_ depended on this.

_"Very well."_ The ghost drew its long sword and pointed the slightly curved, beautifully tempered blade at him. _"If you wish to withdraw at any time, you may do so, and I will let you go alive. If you forfeit now, I will let you go alive. Apart from that, this is a duel to the death. Agreed?"_

"You have my word and honour as a knight," Valkron answered.

_"Very well."_

The ghost blurred. Valkron was caught unawares, and only managed to deflect the sharp blade with his scabbard. The ghost pressed down on him with strength that no ghost should have.

Valkron threw it off and backed off. The ghost watched him, its skull head turning to follow him. The knight drew his sword.

They met in the middle of the hall. Blades crashed together, the sound echoing loudly. Dust began to rise from the floor, as a pair of metal shoes and a pair of wooden clogs scuffled, while their owners tussled between each other.

The ghost lunged forward. Valkron only managed to jerk his head back. The blade passed his face one inch away; he watched it pass in shock, before he ducked and jabbed with his sword.

The ghost was quicker than he had thought. It leapt away from him and landed some way away, its clogs at the end of two trails of dust. It crouched for a moment, and then sprang forward.

Valkron leapt aside. The ghost turned and brought its sword down on him. The knight swung his up to meet it and threw it off.

There was no time to rest, no time to take a breath. Valkron wasn't even aware that he didn't breathe several times, for a short while. The ghost was _fast_. The blade was almost always a blur of light, or just a flurry of metal. Valkron had to be as fast as the ghost to parry its attacks. It never left any opening for him to try.

He ducked as the ghost lunged forward again, barely missing his head by a few inches. Then he swiftly skidded behind a wooden pillar, and heard the wood splinter as the blade sank into it.

Valkron was breathing heavily. Sweat was pouring off him. He tried to think. Surely there was a way to defeat the ghost?

But how could he injure a ghost?

Valkron suddenly ducked. The blade swung above his head and bit into the pillar a few seconds where his chest had been.

The knight shot forward, out of the way. The ghost ran after him, its clogs clacking on the stone floor. Valkron skidded backwards as he tried to stop running, and tripped. He felt himself lose his breath.

As quickly as he had lost all his breath. he gasped and rolled. The blade hit the floor where he had been a few seconds ago. Valkron kicked out, and surprisingly caught the ghost's ankle. It flailed; he leapt to his feet and lunged out at it.

But it was not to be taken by surprise. The ghost blocked his sword and pushed forward. Valkron gritted his teeth as he was pushed backwards. With a surge of strength he shoved it off and dived for the ghost's midriff.

It whirled aside and jabbed at him, making him leap away. Valkron steadied himself, his chest heaving. He had never fought so intensively in the recent years, apart from his battle with Baphomet...but this time he had a choice.

He could withdraw any time he liked. At least he would be alive.

_"Well?"_ said the ghost, its teeth grinning at him. Its jaws never moved when it spoke; it was more like a voice that came out from the skull itself.

Valkron turned his head and spat. "You wish."

_"Very well, then."_

* * *

The Legionnaires were giving the Raulus a hard time. The Guardians of Geffen's army's numbers were incomparable to what the Legionnaires had brought along for the ride. Emeth mentally called it 'ride', since it looked like that.

They were attacking both castles. _Both._ Iruna was taking care of Merseitzdeitz. Albrecht was sending in reinforcements - the merchant himself was now fighting hard, somewhere in the crowd. Emeth was defending the Raulus, but his most successful spell so far - Storm Gust - had been rendered completely useless.

"Damn...marc...card..." he said, through gritted teeth, casting Lord of Vermillion and Quagmire repeatedly.

A rogue dashed up to him and leapt into the air. Emeth only just managed to throw him off with his staff.

"Get the hell out of here!" he yelled ineffectively, casting Cold Bolt at the rogue automatically.

But they wouldn't, and they were not going to. The Legionnaires found that Iruna meant serious business - she effectively knocked out about fifteen people with one Grand Cross - so they switched to Repherion. Albrecht's backup was preventing them from going to Eyorbriggar from where they were.

So it was not surprising that Emeth suddenly found himself holding back an entire attacking force of three hundred.

"What the heck is wrong with you?" he shouted, as they began to force their way in. "Get lost! You're picking the wrong time to fight with me!"

But of course they didn't listen.

The knights and blacksmiths charged in, their battle cry growing louder and louder. They slammed through the remaining groups in front of Repherion, and met a wall of fire.

When the fire dissipated, there was a line of blackened, somewhat stunned, fighters standing and staring. However, even if they had wanted to move onwards they wouldn't have dared. No one would have.

Emeth was standing in front of them, his staff in front of him. Although he had not cast any fire spell it was as if there was an unseen fire blazing around him. His eyes were glowing.

"I've had enough of this," he said, in a quiet voice that was more threatening than his normal one. "That's it. If you think you can play with me, you're wrong."

They looked at each other. They looked at Emeth.

Emeth's eyes narrowed. Four ellipses appeared around him, each a different colour - the colour of the four elements all wizards manipulated.

"And I've had _enough_."

There was an almighty blast of wind from Emeth. His magical aura had suddenly amplified. People shielded their faces, nearly stumbling as they were pushed backwards with the force of the almost solid magic whirling around him.

The wizard raised his staff, his eyes glowing like embers.

* * *

Clangs and crashes echoed throughout the hall as Valkron and the ghost battled furiously. They danced a complicated, strangely coordinated, fast-paced waltz amidst the stone-wood pillars of Bamboo Grove Hill, whirling aside and lunging forward, jabbing, dashing, ducking, parrying...there was no end to their moves.

Valkron no longer felt his brain, or anything else. His whole body was no longer responding to whatever he thought - it had become nothing less than a fighting machine, programmed to do what it did best. It was during this time that he fought well, but he hated the state. However, he didn't have a choice here.

Suddenly the ghost kicked out at him. Its wooden clog caught him in the midriff. He gasped in pain and staggered backwards, his brain momentarily shaken out of its frozen state.

The ghost did not attack him, but watched as he fell to his knees, his arms wrapped tightly around his abdomen as he wheezed slightly. He sat there, gasping for air, his eyes tightly shut; his sword lay on the floor next to him.

_What am I going to do?_ he thought, amidst the pain. _This isn't going anywhere. I'm not doing what I'm supposed to do. I'm fighting, but that's the problem. I'm just fighting._

He looked up. The ghost wavered in front of him; he shut his eyes tightly again.

_I'm dead meat for sure if I don't give up_, he thought. _Or should I just surrender? At least I come out in one piece, and alive._

Valkron coughed. Then he slowly got to his feet, picking up his sword as he did. He looked up at the ghost again.

_"Still not giving up?"_ said the ghost. _"You will still have a chance if you forfeit now."_

Valkron coughed again. He had a choice. He had to make it now.

"I don't think I can do it," he said at last. "But...I don't have a real choice. I can choose to leave now, but...what I want...what I really want..."

_"Everyone wants this castle,"_ said the ghost, a tad disgustedly. _"It seems that you are no different."_

The ghost's words were like a cold shower, somewhere in Valkron's mind. His eyes widened in shock.

_It's right_, he thought. _Why do I want this castle? To prove that the Raulus is not weak? I'd be on the same level as the Black Cross if that's the case._

_Because you want to protect the world._

Valkron felt the darkness close in on him, and struggled to keep himself awake. However, when he looked up again, he saw the other knight - the knight that was the other side of him.

"You're a right wimp," he said, resting his hand on his waist and looking annoyed. "Charging into a battle without a purpose! You don't even know why you want Bamboo Grove Hill? Weak."

"What do you think I'm supposed to do?" said Valkron, slightly irritated by this. "I've got people to take care of, you know!"

"Yeah, but you're alone now." The knight spread his arms. "No one's here, see? You make your own choices. It isn't always about them either, mate."

"It's what I do for a living!"

"Calm down," said the knight. "I know. It's just...you used to be a lot more clear-headed than you are now."

Valkron looked down at his feet. "Yeah, well...I wasn't human, back then."

The knight said nothing.

After a few minutes Valkron said, "I want to claim Bamboo Grove Hill not because I want to show off my power, but to protect the people. I can't just protect Geffen, if anything happens. The guilds in Greenwood Lake won't fight together under any circumstance, considering their rivalry. I am a warrior of the world. I have to fight for it. I don't know why I consider myself as one, nor why I have to do it, but I just feel that it's my job."

"Really? Are you sure of yourself?" said the knight.

When Valkron nodded, the knight said, "Well, then, why don't you go out there and say so?"

The darkness disappeared. Valkron opened his eyes.

He looked at the ghost.

"No," he said. "I don't want this castle just to prove my power. There is another reason."

_"Oh?"_ If the skull had eyebrows it would have raised them now.

"Yes." Valkron held up his sword. "And I'm going to fight for it."

_"Interesting."_

The ghost blurred. Valkron did not dodge, however. He blocked the ghost's sword.

Suddenly, somewhere in the back of his mind, he heard his own voice speak. It was not the voice of the other knight - his other side had a distinctively different voice - but it was his own.

_I fight for the world. If you listen to me, if you know me...then answer me._

And, for some odd reason, he suddenly felt as if something was flowing into him through his feet from the ground. He felt it surge upwards, filling him gradually. He had never felt cooler, or lighter, before.

And then he was moving, moving so fast that the ghost did not even manage to catch him. Valkron hit away the incoming blade, and plunged his sword right up to the hilt through the ghost.

* * *

Emeth watched the crowds of people outside Repherion without any expression on his face. Priests were bustling around them, healing and calling out for more backup as they treated the wounds of the injured.

"You're emitting enough coldness to freeze the entire guild," said Kushana, who was standing some way away from him. "I certainly wouldn't want to be at the other end of those spells."

"I'm sick and tired of being pushed around," said the wizard coldly. "Fed up of being told that I'm nothing compared to Valkron. It's time someone was shown who's the boss here."

"Well, you already did," said Kushana. "Calm down."

She reached out for him. Emeth jerked a little as her hands touched him. He looked at her, and suddenly the coldness was no longer there.

They watched as the Legionnaires retreated. The Raulus, for the first time in their entire existence, had successfully defended their stand without Valkron.

However, it would not be their last.

* * *

Adiemus and Raven had to wait for the horns to blare out loud before rushing down to Bamboo Grove Hill. Since Adiemus' peco was faster the rogue rode behind the crusader.

They reached the gates of Bamboo Grove Hill. Momentarily distracted by the new flags fluttering atop the castle's battlements, they did not see the knight until they were at the top of the steps.

He was sitting, quite nonchalantly, at the doors and drinking a white potion.

"Valkron!" exclaimed Raven, leaping off the peco before Adiemus even stopped. "What happened? You actually...?"

"Mm," said the knight, nodding. "The ghost bowed to me and said, 'You are truly worthy of the castle. It is now yours to keep', and stabbed his sword into the ground before disappearing into the floor."

Raven sighed in relief. "You never fail to surprise me."

Valkron smiled. "I like it that way. Adiemus!"

Raven turned, and caught the crusader as he stumbled. "Hey, you okay?"

"My eyesight," said Adiemus, his voice barely a whisper. "It's...clouding over..."

Valkron looked into his face, straight at his eyes. At length he said, "I think you need to see our priest.

* * *

If you've noticed, I've used a Wanderer to represent the ghost of Bamboo Grove Hill, including the way it dies.


	38. Physic

Chapter 38

**Physic**

Samaroh spent a long time examining Adiemus' eyes. Valkron, Raven and Emeth watched him from a corner of the room they were in, located somewhere in the basement.

"You never told me you were researching down here, Samaroh," said the knight.

"I didn't have anywhere else to do my work," replied the priest. "Every time I work in the Church I have acolytes and priests watching me, and laughing behind my back. I'm now The Priest Who Doesn't Use Magic All The Time."

"That name is too long, and it doesn't fit you," said Emeth. "The Non-Conformist is better."

"We're being serious here, Emeth," said valkron.

"What? So am I."

"Well, whatever name I get given I don't care." Samaroh got to his feet and rummaged around in his pack. "Don't move, Adiemus, I'm not done yet. It's just that people keep watching me, and every time I walk across the courtyards of the Church I've got acolytes running behind me singing some stupid song they made up. I know we're given choir practice, but it doesn't mean they can use their voices to sing about me."

"Choir practice? So that means you can sing?" asked Raven, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, I can."

"You don't sound like it."

"I'm a tenor, if you want to know." Samaroh gave the rogue a look.

"So what do they sing?" asked Emeth interestedly.

"I don't know, it's not my job to listen to them." Samaroh drew out a strange, tied-up bundle from his pack and put it on the table. He pulled on the string; it came undone, and the bundle unravelled into a small cloth pouch. The three of them craned their necks to see what it carried.

The priest lit a candle, and then pulled out a small lens. He stood the candle quite close to Adiemus, who was sitting quite still as he watched the priest about his work, before kneeling down again and using the lens to examine the crusader's eyes again.

After a short while he got back to his feet and put away everything.

"Well?" asked Raven, looking worried.

"I don't know how to explain this." The priest nodded at Adiemus, who got to his feet as well. "It happens with old age. I'll try and make this clearer to you."

He leaned against the table and sighed. "In our eye we have something called a lens. By use of muscles attached to the edges of the lens, we can focus on objects easily, whether they are close or far. With me so far?"

They nodded.

"The lens is special. It's like...a transparent tissue, and looks like this," he held up the little magnifying lens he had used earlier, "without the frame. In Adiemus' case, the lens has become opaque, so he cannot see much out of it."

"But it affects both his eyes," said Raven, looking at Adiemus.

"Well, most people don't usually know they have it until there is some loss of sight. It's fairly common, although I've noticed that most of the old people who have it aren't bothered by it. Much."

"Is there anything that can be done?" asked the crusader. "It's not a very enriching experience to be a half-blind warrior."

"Yes, true," agreed Samaroh. "But you're not intending to retire?"

"Not any time soon."

Samaroh shrugged. "I've been looking up about this, ever since I noticed an old woman in one of the nearby villages affected by it. The Old Empire, corrupted as it was, was highly advanced in this sort of thing. Luckily I've found someone who can make the tools to correct such age-related conditions."

"What? You can't heal it with magic?" asked Raven, in a disbelieving tone.

"No," answered the priest. "Magic cannot do everything."

"So what are we going to do?"

Samaroh looked up at them.

"Well," he said, "there _is_ one way to help out. However, I don't actually have the tools with me at the moment, and I have to ask permission from Adiemus himself as well as a member of his family to do what should be done."

They stared at him.

"What do you mean?" asked Valkron, eventually.

Samaroh coughed politely. "I mean that I can fix the problem, but not with magic."

"And you need their permission?"

"Yes." The priest smiled a little. "However, I can assure you that it will be safe, and he can go home on the same day it is done."

"What is it?" Adiemus asked, much to the horror of the other three.

Samaroh straightened up. "The condition you have is cataracts, and it can be surgically corrected."

"Surgically?" asked the three of them.

"Yes. I use tools and fix the problem. By hand."

"Wait a minute," said Raven, frowning. "Isn't that risky? What if you make a mistake?"

"Surgery does have its risks," said the priest. "But sometimes it's the only way to get something done."

They looked at each other. They looked at Adiemus.

He said, "Does this mean Alya has to be notified?"

* * *

Alya was having breakfast in the hall of Nuernberg when the assistant manager of the castle came to give out letters to her guildmates.

"Tori?"

"Here!" A young archer caught the letter as it sailed towards her.

"Indil?"

"Over here!"

"Asith?"

"Pass it along the bench."

Alya watched her friends laugh and tease each other as they opened their letters.

"Miss Alya?"

She looked up, surprised. The assistant manager was holding out a letter to her.

"Oh, thank you." The sage took it. He nodded at her, before moving on to the next bench.

Alya frowned a little. On the front was written, in neat, slanting handwriting,

_To: Alya_

_Nuernberg, Luina_

_Al de Baran._

A small Prontera stamp was affixed to the corner.

She turned the envelope over. On the back was written, in the same neat handwriting,

_If unsent, please return to:_

_Father Samaroh at the Prontera Church_

_or_

_Samaroh_

_Repherion, Britoniah_

_Geffen._

"Samaroh?" she said aloud.

"Eh?" A priestess further along the bench looked up, amidst the chatter from her neighbours. "Father Samaroh?"

"He's sent me a letter," replied the sage. "I wonder why. Any ideas?"

"Well, he's not interested in women, and he's usually researching, so I have no idea," said the priestess. "Maybe he wants to discuss something with you."

Alya looked puzzled. Why would a priest discuss something with a sage? For all she knew, priests had been at loggerheads with wizards and sages for their 'ignorance of God'.

She took it up to her room later on, where she slit it open with a paper knife. Very carefully she slipped out the neatly folded piece of paper within.

_To Alya,_

_At this moment you are probably trying to figure out as to the reason I am writing to you. The reason is simple._

_As a priest I usually research on methods of helping people recover from illnesses. You may or may not have heard stories about me, but what I do is completely relevant to my interests._

_A few days ago, I diagnosed your father as suffering from cataracts. There are no current regulations as to performing surgery - using tools to fix a condition by hand - but I am obeying the rules set by the Old Empire. One of them is that permission must be granted by the person undergoing the surgery as well as a close family member. _

_Because of this I wish to see you almost immediately regarding the situation. Please do respond with utmost urgency - your father's situation may worsen if nothing is done about it soon._

_Yours sincerely,_

_(Signed)Samaroh._

Alya stared at the lines of neat, slanting handwriting. She was stunned by this piece of news.

_My father...suffering from a condition?_ she thought. _What is he talking about?_

She frowned. _Is this some kind of plot to get me back to my father again? I cannot trust the Raulus at this time._

Alya pondered for a long while. Eventually, she made up her mind.

* * *

Valkron looked through the lists again.

"Right," he said. "We've got a hundred people now, and a fair amount of Payonese who want to help defend Bamboo Grove Hill. We might deploy them."

"Who's leading them?" asked Iruna. She and Emeth were sitting together with him in his room, looking through the rest of the lists.

"Let's see...well, I can always ask for this fellow." He pointed at a name on the list he was holding. They leaned over the table to look at it.

"Shen?" asked Emeth.

"Yeah. Ex-Payonese guard. I'm sure he'll do well in Bamboo Grove Hill."

"Odd of you to say that," said Iruna. "When did you get to know him?"

"A few years back, when I was doing a mission in Payon," said Valkron. "He'd been fired from his job for something he did not do. I helped him investigate a case, and he managed to save the Payonese Royal family. He's a mercenary now. I can see he's eager to join and help out."

"Isn't everyone like that?" asked Iruna. "Well, all right then. About the waiting list, though...you need to do something about it."

Valkron looked at it. He looked down. And down.

"Well...all right. I'll go and see the people on it later on. Anymore to see to?"

"Well, not really...except for a few things..." began Emeth.

Suddenly there was a thunderous knocking on the door. Valkron got to his feet and opened it.

"Alya's here," said the perseon who had banged on the door.

"Alya?" said the three, in surprise.

And indeed, the guild leader of the Seven Eyes was waiting in the hallway of Repherion when they got to the ground floor. Emeth quickly moved behind Iruna. The crusader gave him an amused look.

"Are you here to see Samaroh?" asked Valkron.

"Yes," she said. "I want to see what this fiasco is all about."

"What fiasco?"

"This rubbish about my father being afflicted by a condition that needs whatever to fix it!"

Valkron stared at her for a few minutes. Then he said, "I think you might find it suitable if you follow me."

* * *

Adiemus and Raven had been residing in Repherion for the few days it took for the letter to reach Nuernberg. Samaroh had taken to examining him every now and then, but he did not do it with such a frequency that annoyed Adiemus. When they walked into the basement they found Samaroh explaining to Adiemus.

"...means that the anaesthetic is only focused on the area of operation itself, while a general anaesthetic just knocks you out completely."

"You mean I don't feel anything at all?" asked Adiemus.

"No. If you're under local anaesthetic you won't really feel much, but you're still awake and you can listen to me as I tell you what's going on."

"Samaroh!" said Alya, causing the priest to jump. "What is the meaning of this?"

"What? Oh, hi, Alya," said Samaroh distractedly, still shaken by her sudden shout. "I wasn't expecting you to respond to my letter so quickly--"

In several strides Alya had crossed the room and grabbed Samaroh by the collar. She yanked him towards her.

"What joke are you trying to play with me?" she growled, as the priest tried to loosen her grip without succeeding. "You come and send me a letter about my father, and now you're here just talking to him about your rubbish? As a priest I thought you'd be a lot more honest than this!"

"The Black Cross has made you mistrust even more, I see," said Adiemus quietly.

Alya released Samaroh's collar. "What's going on?"

"I cannot see much, Alya," came the soft, gentle reply. "My eyesight is blurred. According to Samaroh my eyes have clouded over, and no magic can hear it."

"Nonsense!" said Alya. "Why would we use magic for, then? The wizards use it all the time! Priests have never failed to heal anything wth their magic!"

"That, Alya, is where you are wrong."

They looked at Samaroh. He had drawn himself up to his full height, and looked like he was ready to debate with her.

"White magic can heal wounds, whether they are self-inflicted or gained in battle, accidents...whatever. However, some situations such as dislodging of an organ or bone, and all age rlated illnesses and diseases cannot be treated with magic."

"How would you know, Samaroh?" snapped Alya. "You stay in the library researching things, not getting down to doing anything apart from teaching acolytes how to sing in the choir!"

"Research has been made by the Old Empire regarding the limitations of white magic," replied Samaroh stolidly. "It has been proven, hundreds of times, that white magic does not cure certain diseases, no matter how miraculous it may seem."

"But you have not seen it yourself! How can you stand by historical documents that may have been written by absolute fakes?"

It was probably the final straw for Samaroh, because Valkron saw his eyes flash.

"_And what do YOU know about the body and healing, Alya?_"

She stepped back, a shocked expression on her face. The priest was clearly angry, and he was not stopping.

"I've done my own experiments on other people, and myself," he said angrily. "I've researched about this subject. And this time _no one_ is going to tell me that I am wrong. I have hundreds of years' worth of research and evidence behind what I do. It is physic, the opposite of magic, and I will swear my life on this that I will use it to save the people who need it and not listen to people who think magic is everything and depend on it as if their lives were made of it! Your father needs seeing to, and if surgery is the only way to help him then I'll do it!"

She stared at him. Adiemus sighed, and closed his eyes.

"He speaks the truth, Alya," he said. "I've already granted him permission. All he wanted to do was to tell you what is going to happen, and ask for your permission as well."

The sage deflated. Valkron suspected that she had never lost an argument in her life - well, until now.

"Looks like Samaroh's argumentative side does have a use to it, after all," Iruna whispered in his ear.

Finally Alya said, "All right. I let you have permission."

Samaroh nodded stiffly. "Very well. Adiemus?"

"It's fine if you want to do it immediately," replied the crusader quietly.

"That's settled, then. The tools should be coming in at any time soon." Samaroh nodded at him, and went out of the basement.

They looked at each other.

* * *

The operation took place the very next day. When Samaroh had received what he had sent for they had come to take a look, and found themselves staring at some of the strangest things. They were made of steel, and looked twisted and cruel. But mostly sharp.

"Don't look at them if you want to have an appetite later on," Samaroh had warned. His anger from the previous day had not died down fully - Valkron didn't expect it to, since Alya had opted to stay and wait for her father - so he was still cold and curt.

It took place in a room Samaroh had chosen. He had 'disinfected' it - well, that was what it had sounded like, and he had not explained it. He had also done it to himself; it was a sickly smell.

So they waited. And surprisingly, it only took about fifteen minutes.

"Yeah, I never said it would take long, would it?" said Samaroh, as he took off the rubber gloves he had worn for the whole thing and pulled off the mask he wore.

"So what happens now?" asked Emeth.

Samaroh beckoned him over. "Help me out with this, Emeth. Could all of you leave?"

They waited for a short while, before Samaroh and Emet came back.

"You can see him now," said the priest, now smiling.

Adiemus was sitting up in bed. Upon seeing him Alya cried out and rushed to his side.

"Father, your eyes--!"

"They're fine," he said. "Don't worry, Alya."

The sage reached out and lightly touched the thick white bandage that covered his eyes.

"I had to do that," said the priest. "They have to heal. They will heal quickly, of course, but for now it's fine. No blood, nothing...Adiemus will tell you that."

"Yes, he talked to me throughout the whole thing," said Adiemus. "He told me about what he was doing, and everything else in between. I didn't really see what he did, but there wasn't any pain."

"Ah, thank local anaesthetic for that," said the priest.

"So when can he take the bandage off?" Alya asked him.

"Tomorrow," said the priest. "It takes very little time for the cuts I made to heal. By the way, Adiemus - if you intend to read, you might consider a pair of glasses."

"What did you do, exactly?" asked Iruna curiously.

"I removed the lenses of both eyes and inserted a special man-made lens in," came the reply. "I had them made for this. Although Adiemus can see long distance and just in front of him, he can't see anything closer than that because the lenses cannot focus. He'll need a pair of glasses to read or do any similar activity."

"I can't believe you spend your time wearing a blindfold in battle, Iruna," said Adiemus, turning his head. "It feels strange, being in darkness."

"Now you know how it feels," she said, grinning. "So don't pester me next time, okay?"

Adiemus laughed. "I won't."

They left him and Alya together, smiling.

* * *

Several days later, Valkron received a letter from Adiemus. He read it quickly.

Then he went to get Samaroh.

"Read," he said, showing the letter to the priest.

Samaroh took the letter.

_To Valkron,_

_I am astonished at my eyesight now! It has become better than before. Although I do require glasses, it is a minor thing; I have never been happier in my life._

_Just recently I went to see an old friend of mine, who also suffers from the same condition. He tells me that no priest, crusader or monk can cure him of that condition. When he learned of the operation I had he was surprised, and said that there has never been such a thing before, but he would like to try it. _

_Samaroh deserves more praise than I can give him. Please do give him my regards and tell him that I am grateful for what he has done - so grateful that thanks is but a mere word, and there is no such word in the entire world that can express myself in this situation, Thank you, Samaroh._

_Your good friend,_

_(Signed)Adiemus_

When Samaroh lowered the letter, Valkron was smiling.

"Well done, Samaroh," he said.

* * *

Several days afterwards, Valkron was working away in the meeting room when Emeth walked up to him and sat down, putting quite a large number of papers on the table.

"Samaroh's been quite...happy lately," said the wizard. "According to Iruna, he's also been praying a lot."

"Well, he's probably offering his thanks to his god for making him so successful," replied Valkron. Although he hadn't looked up from his work, he was smiling.

"Well, the Church isn't too happy with him," the wizard remarked worriedly. "The idea of him spreading around the concept of Physic might make people think that there's no need for the Church."

"He's told me that Physic doesn't work as instantaneously as magic does. That's the advantage white magic has over Physic, really. I doubt the usage of magic will ever die out." Valkron looked at Emeth without raising his head. "Especially not with you around."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know what I mean." Valkron went back to his work.

Emeth sighed. "So, where else are you going to try for? Bamboo Grove Hill's success is driving the lists towards saturation point."

"I'm finishing off with Yesnelph and Bergel for the next two days," said Valkron. "Then I'll see where we're going. The Dark is coming, though."

"Argh, don't remind me," said Emeth, burying his face in his hands. "Stupid...preparations...I have to do the same spells for Britoniah as I did with Geffen to defend us. The human race is annoying me."

"You're one, so don't go on about it," said the knight. "And don't offend me either, because I'm one too. Now stop it and go and finish your work. I don't have the time to listen to a raving wizard."

Emeth muttered something under his breath, but returned to work anyway.

* * *

In the Geffen Magic Academy, someone slipped into the Theory of Magic classroom and began to chant. The classroom glowed for a second, before the light faded away into the night.

"Heh. 'Can you manage to even do it?' Of course I can." The person grinned. "I'll show it to you."

Got all sciency here. Don't blame me, it's exam fever.


	39. The Present and the Future

Chapter 39  
**The Present and the Future**

"Hey, Emeth," said Valkron the next day, "I'd like to ask you something."

"Hmm? What?"

"Okay, maybe not now."

Emeth gave him a look, but it was clear the wizard was grateful the knight had not gone ahead with his question. The reason was because Emeth was writing spells.

Most people often thought that wizards and magicians simply waved their fingers and something happens. Since Emeth was a Theory of Magic teacher, he had a tendency to yell at people who thought so. It was true that wizards did wave their hands, but that was only for instantaneous spells, such as telekinesis and cleansing.

Sometimes wizards were asked to help with crops and such. This was where they couldn't just wave their hands. They had to use talismans, and therefore came about Caligraphy, the art of writing.

It was a relatively new subject that had just been introduced, but in fact all the wizards at the Geffen Magic Academy already knew that caligraphy was important to write spells. However, because there was no wizard or sage specialising in caligraphy at the moment, Emeth had been asked to teach the subject as a sub-topic until a better-qualified individual came along to fill the vacancy.

Valkron watched; Kushana on the other side of the room. Emeth often became tetchy whenever he was preparing materials for his next Caligraphy lesson, because he disliked it that he had been forced to do it regardless of the fact that he was already heavily loaded with research.

He stood staring at the small strip of paper in front of him for some time.

"Deciding what spell to write?" asked Kushana.

"Yeah." The wizard rubbed the side of his nose thoughtfully.

He suddenly picked up a small, thin brush, lowered his hand until the brush tip was just above the paper, and took a deep breath.

No one said a thing, so all that was heard was the sound of Emeth's brush swishing gently across the paper. Then the wizard straightened up. Whenever he did caligraphy he took off his cloak and gloves, and - much to the surprise of the most of the guild members - tied his hair back.

"Right," he said at length. "That should do it. I'm done with this for today."

He dropped the brush back into the ink bottle on the table and heaved a sigh. "That's one thing done for today. So, Valkron...you were saying?"

"Hm? Oh." Valkron had nearly forgotten. "I just wanted to ask if I could watch you teach."

Emeth stared at him. "Why would you want to watch me teach a class full of kids? Don't you have anything else much better to do?

"I don't," replied the knight. "But the way you teach is interesting. You teach with passion, although you dislike the students, and you're impressive. I've never seen a more dedicated wizard in my life."

Kushana giggled. Emeth turned red in the face.

"You've got to be kidding me, if you want to see me teach," he said. "Seriously."

"Yeah, I _am_ serious," said Valkron.

The wizard sighed and reached behind his head. "I guess I don't have any other choice," he said, pulling off the elastic he had borrowed from Kushana to tie his hair back with. "Especially if it's you. Apart from that, how are the preparations going?"

Valkron smiled. "All's well, thank you. Yesnelph and Bergel will be simultaneously invaded this week, I don't think we can wait any longer."

"Yeah, I doubt it," agreed Emeth. "We need the strength to begin defending our guild. How's the economy going?"

"Pretty strong, but this guild needs to grow up some more." Valkron got up from his chair. "Shen's happy to take over Greenwood Lake and help out."

The knight couldn't help thinking about the ex-Payonese Royal guard. He and Emeth had gone to meet Shen the day before, in Greenwood Lake.

Shen was a hunter who knew the Payonese forests like the back of his hand. He had a hairstyle like Emeth's, but much neater and grey in colour. With the slanted eyes of a Payonese, he had observed Emeth before holding out his hand.

Valkron had met Shen during one of his missions, in an unforgettable series of events. The hunter had lost his job because he had been accused and convicted of something he had not committed, and his pleading had been fruitless. Although it had been completely unrelated to his mission, Valkron decided to help out anyway. After Shen's name had been cleared, the hunter offered to help out with the mission. Valkron had finished it before the given deadline.

After that, the knight realised he had won the everlasting friendship of one of the most loyal hunters he had ever met in his life.

Shen, however, was not really what you would call ordinary. Straight after greeting Emeth, he had led them - wordlessly - to his house, where he initiated a tea ceremony with the two of them. Emeth had to be told that this was how Shen made new friends.

He'd been enthusiastic about taking care of Bamboo Grove Hill, though, and he had promised to take care of it. Valkron had made him into a flag commander - a rank directly answerable to him, held by someone who lead the army of the flag castle and therefore in charge of an entire area.

"Woo hoo." A hand passed in front of his eyes.

Valkron jumped. "Wh-What?"

"I'm going now," said Emeth. "To class. Let's go."

Valkron stepped into Geffen wearing his usual merchant's clothes and his hair slicked down; he did not want to risk being crowded by adoring fans. Emeth had been having a lot of such occurrences these days.

Emeth put Valkron down as 'guest' when he filled in the checklist at the reception. Blizzardriss glanced up listlessly, looked back down to his work, and then looked back up again, his jaw hanging.

"Shh, Blitz," said Emeth in a low voice, grinning. "He's just here to watch me."

They left Blizzardriss staring after them.

Valkron had to stand at the back of the class. He did so, watching as Emeth strode into the noisy class and setting his books down on the table without even saying anything to quieten down the class.

But once he stood in front of the board everyone fell silent. Valkron raised his eyebrows, impressed.

"How did you find the exams, everyone?" he said, to general discomfort. "Easy?"

There was a general mutter, but not a clear answer.

Emeth grinned. "I'm sure you enjoyed them, regardless of the dificulty of the paper. All right, good news, everyone! We've finished the syllabus of the year!"

Valkron was surprised by the response. The young magicians whooped and cheered, throwing their books into the air.

"Whoo-hoo! No more runic prefixes!" shouted a nearby boy.

"We don't have work anymore! Yay!" cried out a girl.

Emeth stood there and seemed to take it all in, grinning the whole time. Finally, when the class seemed to have quietened down a bit, he picked up a textbook and thumped a desk with it. "All right, that's enough. They're having a staff meeting in the next building; I don't want teachers to come running in here. You can celebrate later."

The magicians nodded, their faces radiating happiness from every corner. Emeth sighed, smiling.

"But _before_ we celebrate, let me break the bad news to you."

Silence fell. Everyone looked as blank as a wall.

The wizard grinned. This time he looked more evil than fatherly. "We're starting next year's syllabus today."

Valkron could have never expected more evil from him. The entire class went, "Aww!" and there were a few, "Not fair!" and "But you said we could celebrate!" outcries.

"No." Emeth's voice fell like a hammer, silencing them. "You are magicians. You aspire to become wizards or sages. Don't tell me you want to stay magicians all your lives. Do you?"

They shook their heads.

"Good." Emeth straightened up. "Right, today I'm going to introduce you to a new chapter in Theory of Magic. You don't have your new textbooks yet, but they'll be coming along in a week or so, and you can place your orders through me. Got that?"

They nodded.

"Right." The wizard put down the textbook he had used to thump the desk with and drew out, from between its pages, a wad of strips of paper.

"They've introduced this subject into the syllabus for next year," he said. "I'm not actually supposed to be teaching it, but since we don't have a qualified teacher for it yet, and since this is somewhat related to my subject I guess I'll have to do." He sighed. "Have a look at these. Pass this around to the left, Miko. Reid, pass this one around your side."

The two strips Emeth had handed out were duly passed around, the students looking at them closely. When they had come back Emeth said, "Notice anything about them?"

A few students put up their hands. Emeth nodded at one.

"They were written in coperas?"

"Nope, although that's a fact." Emeth nodded at another hand.

"They have Old Runic written on them."

"Good, that's one."

"They were written really nicely!" called someone from the back.

"Haha, thanks, but no."

Valkron was silently laughing at the back of the class.

"Anyone spotted the major thing about them yet?" asked Emeth, looking around the class. "No? Well then, you might have been looking in the wrong place. The way it has been written is what gives its uniqueness."

"What do you mean?" asked several students.

Emeth waved his hand. Valkron observed a piece of chalk fly towards him.

"Let's see if it can be done with a piece of chalk-- Hey?"

Valkron straightened up. He had seen the chalk suddenly drop halfway in midair.

Now, most people would have thought that Emeth had lost concentration, but Valkron knew him. Emeth was a born magic-user. His tutors had noticed that at an early age Emeth had been able to cast two or three spells at the same time, and maintain their strength for a certain period of time. It was due to the ability of dual concentration - a wizard term for concentration that could be split and shared without being diluted by its separation.

Emeth was famed for the strength of his dual concentration. Valkron had seen him cast Storm Gust, Meteor Storm and Quagmire...while yelling orders out to his wizard division. More than thirty people had been frozen, burned and slowed down on that day, for one hour or so, before he had tired out and retreated.

The wizard was staring at the chalk. He waved his hand. The chalk flew up into the air, wiggled for a moment, and then dropped like a stone.

"Right," he said, still staring. "Well, anyway."

He waved his hand. Words appeared on the board behind him.

"As I was saying, the way it has been written constitutes for the magic in it," he said. "They are talismans, and how they are written is important.."

"What about the medium, sir?" asked a magician.

"Medium doesn't matter." Emeth had gone to pick up the chalk; he was standing next to the magician who had asked. "It evens work in chalk, on your desk. I'm going to write a word that means 'destroy', don't scream at me if your desk collapses..."

The chalk tapped across the wood for a minute or two. Then all of a sudden the magician screamed, "My table's burning!"

Emeth put out the fire, and passed his hand over the wood. When it had passed the wood was back together again as it had been before.

"Sorry," he said, to the somewhat shocked student. "But you understand now, right?"

"More than I'd like to," said the magician, still blinking.

"Okay." Emeth returned to the front of the class. "So, that's how it...what the--"

The students looked at the board. Valkron was surprised. They were not laughing at the message the chalk had scribbled over the board while Emeth had been demonstrating. This was somewhat odd, given that the message was

_eMeth iS a BiG LoSEr_

Valkron was used to his students writing the same kind of messages across his desk. Often the whole class would snigger at it.

This class wasn't.

After a bit Emeth waved his hand at the board. The message did not clear.

"We'll leave it there," he said. "For the time being. Anyway, that's how talismans work. Each and every wizard has their own signature technique of writing, so all their talismans are different. No two talismans written by different wizards are the same. The same basic idea is Caligraphy, and you'll be learning how to do it this year."

He looked at the class. "Your first topic this year is Telekinesis, so remember that. Now, get ready with your writing stuff - I'm going to have to dictate from my book, but whatever."

Valkron was still trying to figure out what was wrong when Emeth beckoned to the textbook sitting on his desk. It did not lift.

The wizard raised an eyebrow, and beckoned again. Nothing happened.

When he did it for a third time, the book flew into the air and went up to the ceiling. Emeth made a tugging motion as if pulling it down, and it zipped low at his head. He ducked to avoid getting hit by the book.

It hovered in the air, just out of his reach, as he straightened up. He gave it a look. Valkron had a sudden premonition, and grimaced.

Suddenly, the wizard's powerful aura whipped into life around him. There was a pause, and then a sudden _whoosh_ of rushing air. Valkron felt the atmosphere suddenly lift, and for some reason it became a lot lighter than it had been when he had entered the classroom.

The book dropped like a stone. Emeth reached out calmly, not moving from his spot. The book thumped dully onto his hand.

"Right, that should clear things up," he said flatly. "Ready to write?"

* * *

Valkron followed Emeth to the staffroom after the lesson had ended. The wizard had gone quiet and was not talking to the knight, although he had invited Valkron to follow him.

The staffroom hit Valkron's senses like a train. The first thing was the incredibly strong smell of coffee. The second thing was the somewhat misty atmosphere. The third was the wizards, all crowded in the room and talking loudly and happily.

The knight looked around the staffroom. In the Chivalry knights either went to their individually allocated offices or the staffroom to take a break from teaching. In the Chivalry all the knights had separate desks, and no one talked.

The atmosphere was vastly different, and so was the seating arrangement. There were five large round tables set in one room, and desks lining all four walls. On the tables and desks were large, teetering piles of papers and old books. From time to time a witch or wizard would detach from the crowd and frantically search through these piles.

All the others were sitting around the tables. A mug of coffee were in their hands or on the tables, which had numerous coffee rings on them. Paper, books, quills and the occasional coaster were scattered everywhere. Valkron was sure that Emeth had got his haphazard, messy attitude from the staffroom.

There was a door next to the external one, and that led to a cloakroom. Valkron watched Emeth silently hang up his cloak on one of the hooks in the room before shutting the door and slipping across the room. Although everyone was wearing somewhat the same uniform, it was easy to tell if Emeth was passing, due to his height.

As the two of them passed the throng of wizards, some called out to him.

"Hey, Emeth! Thanks for the book! It's back on your spot!"

"Emeth! Come over here soon, we've got a good joke you'll like!"

But Emeth did not reply. Suddenly the entire room fell silent, so abruptly that the silence clanged on Valkron's ears. He shook his head vigorously, and looked up to see Emeth heading towards two wizards.

They looked considerably younger than the rest of the staffroom, and they were the only two who were still joking and laughing after the staffroom had fallen silent. Only when Emeth's shadow fell across them did they look up.

"Hey, sir," said one of them casually.

The other one was staring at Emeth. It was not an expression of awe or respect - it was one of horror.

Emeth suddenly slammed him against the wall. Valkron felt the room shake.

"Do you think it's funny to mess up my classroom, Edefil?" he said, in a low voice. "Trying to show who's boss, is it?"

The wizard called Edefil looked like he was panicking. "Um, well..."

"Just because I told you off?" said the older wizard. "You deserved the detention because you didn't set up those defences properly!"

There was a collective gasp from the entire room. Some looked shocked; others looked horrified.

"Do that one more time and I swear I'm personally going to knock your socks off," said Emeth. "And if you try to beg for some sympathy, too bad. No one here's going to listen to you. Get back to work. I don't want to see you slacking off. If you can't behave like an adult, don't expect me to treat you like one!"

He dropped the younger wizard and turned away. As he walked back to where Valkron was standing, the noise in the room began, and soon it was as if nothing had happened.

Valkron decided not to ask Emeth what had happened. The wizard still looked as if he was in a bad mood. Luckily for the knight, there were a lot more things to talk about this new area.

"Emeth," he said, coughing slightly, "why is the atmosphere so misty?"

"Hm?" The wizard looked up at him from sifting through a large pile of papers with a piece of paper bearing his name tacked on it. "Because all the wizards here experiment with different spells. Geffen Magic Academy is too small for any research rooms, and sometimes we have to do quick experiments. Other than that, well...it's probably just the steam from the coffee."

"You guys are great believers in coffee, I see," remarked the knight.

"True, but I don't drink coffee. Hate the smell, hate the taste, and it makes me feel sleepy. I prefer tea."

"So how can you put up with the strong smell of coffee here?"

Emeth looked at him in surprise. "There is?"

"Yeah, there is! It's so strong that it - to use your words - knocks your socks right off."

Emeth sniffed. "I think I've got used to it. You do, eventually."

Valkron rolled his eyes. "Why don't you all work in the tower? I'm sure you can warp from here to there and back, if they set it up."

"Nah," replied the wizard. "We tried, but there were too many dungeon raiders sneaking a peek at us, and there were too many Geffenia monsters breaking hell on us every time we did experiments. Ended up here instead. Crowded, but more peaceful."

"You call this peaceful?" said Valkron in some shock, pointing at the other chattering wizards.

Emeth shrugged. "I told you, you get used to it. We're always like this."

Valkron looked back at the crowd. "Except for that wizard."

"Huh? Who?" Emeth turned.

The knight was staring at a particular wizard, sitting at one of the large round tables. This one wasn't talking - or looked too ill to talk. His eyes were perpetually widened, ringed with stark black, and he looked somewhat gaunt. Valkron was forcibly reminded of Emeth during the examination period.

Currently he was staring at a crystal ball sitting in front of him, his thin, long fingers grasping a set of cards.

"Ah, that's Devrion," said Emeth, lowering his voice. "He's the teacher for Divination."

"Specialises in tarot and crystal balls?" asked Valkron, also lowering his voice.

"Not just that. He does _everything_. Rune stones, Southern geomancy, astrology, tea leaf reading, palm reading, oneiromancy, pyromancy, arithmancy, whatever mancy you can think of. Most of the students are a bit scared of him, because he moves and talks like a ghost."

"How can you talk like a ghost?"

"Believe me, I didn't know how ghosts would sound like if they talked until I met Devrion."

Valkron looked back at the wizard. He had put away his cards, but he was still staring intently into the ball.

"Why does he look like that?" he asked.

"Um...I have no idea, actually," replied the wizard. "But the story goes that he's from one of the nomad tribes of the South. I believe it's traditional that they ring their eyes with kohl and don't sleep much. They're said to continually seek knowledge as long as they live. In other words, he's a natural wizard."

"Why are we whispering?"

"Devrion's a bit paranoid," said Emeth. "If he hears anyone mention his name he goes absolute berserk and tells people off. He thinks that we shouldn't tell each other our names. It holds with the ancient belief that once you have your enemies' names, you can do anything to them no matter how far both of you are."

"Sounds off the handle to me," said the knight, staring.

"That's what _they_ say. We just say he's different. All right, I'm not standing here anymore. I need to go and get my stuff."

"You're going?"

"Yeah, my lesson for today is done. I have to prepare for tomorrow. Anyway, I need to visit the apothecary again."

As Valkron waited for Emeth to take his cloak, someone tapped him on the shoulder. "Excuse me?"

"Yes?" Valkron turned.

Devrion had certainly not been this scary at a distance.

The knight yelped at the sight of the wizard. Everyone looked at the two of them. Emeth came hurrying out.

"What the-- Devrion!"

The thin wizard turned to stare at Emeth. Now that he was standing right in front of Valkron, the knight could see that what Emeth said was probably right. The years of living in Morroc had paid off - he could see the swirling, violet marks painted on Devrion's face, and the single golden hoop dangling from his ear, somewhere hidden in his dishevelled hair, which denoted he was from a nomad tribe.

"Pardon me, Emeth," said Devrion, "but I'd like to speak to this gentleman for a while."

Valkron gaped at Devrion. The wizard _did_ talk as if he were a ghost. His voice was hoarse, slow, and hollow.

"Oh, well, all right," said Emeth, looking reluctant. "Just don't take so long."

"I will speak to him in the cloakroom," said Devrion, still in the same tone.

Suddenly one thin hand wrapped itself around Valkron's wrist. With amazing strength Devrion yanked him into the cloakroom and slammed the door behind them, covering them in semi-darkness.

"I'm sorry for this abrupt behaviour," said the wizard, "but there is something that has been bothering me ever since you walked in. Before I continue, am I right in saying that you are actually Valkron, leader of the Raulus?"

"Yes, you're right," said the knight, still shaken. "How did you know?"

"You give off a very strange aura that no other warrior has." Devrion pointed at Valkron. The knight suddenly realised that his fingers were tipped with pointed black nails. "Just the same as Emeth, and as strong as him. Emeth himself is powerful in his own right, but as a wizard he should be. I am surprised you hold as much power as he does."

"Do we, now...that's a surprise." Valkron was regaining his composure.

Devrion lowered his hand. "When you walked past me just now, I saw a black shadow following you. I looked into the ball, and I saw your future. I must give you a warning.

"Your future is in danger. The people you love and care for will soon be in trouble. As you progress, you will fight for them, and succeed, but eventually you will fall. Even though you are not proud of what you do, even though you do not deserve it, you will fail."

"And why is this supposed to be true?" asked Valkron, raising an eyebrow.

"It will come to pass. You will know when that time is." Devrion stared at Valkron. "Beware."

As the knight continued to stare at Devrion, the wizard suddenly turned on his heel and walked out of the room. Valkron blinked in the light that had suddenly filled the room, and sighed before emerging.

Emeth said nothing until they were well out of the Academy. As they walked down the road to the apothecary's, he asked casually, "Devrion predicted something for you, did he?"

"Well, yes," said Valkron.

"Any thoughts?"

The knight raised an eyebrow. "Why are you asking?"

"You look as if you're not believing in it," said Emeth.

Valkron sighed. "Why would I?"

"Because I'd advise you to." Emeth stopped by a street stall to examine the herbs on sale. "Devrion may seem strange and odd, but his words are always the truth. I don't want to ask you what he told you - it's not my business - but whatever it was...you'd better believe in it. Although we're all stressed teachers, I can tell you that every wizard teaching in the Academy was chosen for a reason. They're all powerful in their own right, Devrion included."

* * *

Sheuth stared at the sheaf of papers in his hand.

"Since when did the Raulus invade Greenwood Lake?" he said.

"A week ago, I do believe," replied Vineis.

"But...how? We were keeping an eye on the Exodus Faction all the time! No one told us that the Raulus came in!"

"Valkron went alone," replied the wizard. "He went after Bamboo Grove Hill."

"Ah, I see." Sheuth didn't think he could hide his emotions at this point. "Can we claim it?"

"I doubt it," said Vineis. "He's got an ex-Payonese Royal guard as his flag commander. You know how well-trained they are in terms of military experience. The numbers in the Raulus have risen as well, and are now close to a hundred."

"Valkron is doing well," said Sheuth. "But once he reaches hundred, Seyren will be checking up on him every now and then."

"There are no faults to be found with the Raulus." Vineis looked out of the window. "Valkron is, as they say, straight as an arrow. We've got a tough competitor with us."

"There's got to be a way of pushing the Raulus down," muttered Sheuth. "All guilds have a weakness, _somewhere_...Vineis?"

He was looking at the wizard, who was smiling wistfully. The sharpness of his facial features seemed to be softer.

"At last," he said. "We have a real challenger."

"What?" said Sheuth.

"A real challenger who can pose something to us. I'll be looking forward to fighting with the Raulus."

"Vineis. Hello?" Sheuth waved his hands in front of the wizard's face. "We're not here to enjoy ourselves fighting them! We've got a kindgom to see to!"

"A real rival," continued the wizard, clearly ignoring him. "Someone with which we can finally throw ourselves against and pit all our wits into thinking. I'll be ready for it."

Sheuth sighed. One more good reason to get rid of Vineis as soon as possible.

He was running into difficulties, however. For some odd reason he kept running into obstacles. First Naobi wasn't around whenever he wanted to talk to the monk, but when Sheuth wanted to do something Naobi would be there, watching. The same went for all the rest.

Reita had taken to patrolling Gondul. Sometimes David was with her. Sheuth was having serious difficulty in getting people to help him in his plans.

It looked like he was out of ideas.

He left Vineis still wistfully staring out of the window, and walked down the passages of Gondul with the recent guild records in his hand, shaking his head. He had to think fast, and come up with some way...for the good of the kingdom.

The rogue headed around a corner, and walked into Alya.

"I'm sorry, Sheuth!" she gasped apologetically. "Here, let me help you..."

She picked up his papers while he got to his feet. He had purposely tried to soften the impact - for a rogue, he had excellent reflexes - but he had tripped instead.

"Thank you," he said, as he took back the papers.

"Is Vineis in his room?"

"Yes, he is."

"Thank you, Sheuth." Alya bowed briefly to him, and left.

Sheuth watched her go. He felt sorry she had to suffer with Vineis, but...there was no other choice.

And besides, the rogue didn't feel any pity for her. Or anybody at all, come to think of it.

* * *

I thought I was writing too little, but when I checked it was 27 KB.

Wow.


	40. The Coming Experience

I am afraid that Chapters 39, 40, 41 and 42 are riddled with errors. Because of that (and the fact that I am the only proofreader I have) I have to hold back the other chapters. Please help me out with any punctuation, grammar or spelling mistakes that you find in 39 and 40.

Chapter 40  
**The Coming Experience**

"Well, hey," said Khan.

Valkron looked over to him. "Wonderful, isn't it?"

"I would say interesting," said Iruna, pulling up a corner of her blindfold to look.

They were standing on the other side of the river bank. Towering above them, built closer than the first two, were the castles Yesnelph and Bergel.

In the setting sun they were like red-tinged grey giants. Their gates towered higher than the gates of the other three. It was said that of all the five castles of Britoniah, Yesnelph and Bergel were the largest, and the Raulus could see why.

At the moment, only Valkron, Khan, Iruna, Emeth and Kushana were surveying them. Valkron noted that Emeth and Kushana were inseparable. Wherever one went, the other followed - unless Emeth was teaching.

"Where's Emeth, at the moment?" he asked Kushana, who was standing not far from them.

"He's dealing with the ambernites behind us," she replied, jerking a thumb over her shoulder as her green eyes looked at him. "Says that he doesn't want to end up being mobbed by them."

"I bet he's having some fun with those snails," said Iruna. "The last time I saw him he was kicking one into the undergrowth."

"Oh, that was because it was stuck on his foot."

"So, Valkron...are we going to look inside Yesnelph and Bergel?" asked Khan.

There was a rustling sound; Valkron had unfolded his maps of the two castles.

"There's not much that we don't know," he said, scanning them. "Although they're huge, they're still pretty much the same layout as any other castle we know. All that worries me is the problem of getting to the emperium room in time, because of the apparent miles and miles of stone we have to cross on every floor. Not counting the guardians."

"And the monsters," agreed Kushana.

"I don't intend to go and measure out the distances. These maps give a clear enough scale, unless - and I doubt this is true - the castles expand by an inch or so every year. Other than that," Valkron folded up the maps again, "I think we're fine with these castles."

"How are you going to claim both in two hours?" asked Iruna, as Emeth emerged from the trees behind them. "We've got close to a hundred, but we need to divide them in between Merseitzdeitz and Repherion."

"What of Eyorbriggar?" Khan asked, frowning.

"Albrecht's done what is known as assimilation," said Valkron, still gazing at the two castles. "During the last session two small guilds joined us by will. The merchant's taken them under his wing, so Eyorbriggar has, in effect, about fifty people or so defending it."

"What about the other fifty?" asked Khan.

"That's the problem."

"Incidentally, Valkron," said Emeth, who had finally reached them, "the list has grown to a hundred and twenty. So that means we've got an extra twenty to share between Merseitzdeitz and Repherion now. If that's any comfort to you."

"Thirty five people to each castle...hm." Valkron tapped the side of his nose thoughtfully. "I'm not too sure if that's enough."

"Wait, how did we get a hundred and twenty in total?" asked Iruna, looking completely bewildered. "I don't remember us having that many people! What level is our guild?"

"Somewhere in the thirties or so. I don't remember." Valkron was surveying the landscape.

Iruna blinked. "Wow."

"Yeah, they came pouring in like floods after Bamboo Grove Hill," remarked Emeth disgruntledly. "Thanks to Valkron the numbers attempting to join has reduced, but it's still a headache to deal with. That reminds me - Valkron, we may need to make extensions soon."

"We'll have to deal with Yesnelph and Bergel first," replied the knight. "It's not like we've got a choice."

Emeth looked up into the sky. "Mm."

Kushana took off her hairband and put it back on again, tucking away loose strands of hair. "Well, I'm not surprised."

"Let's go, then," said Khan.

Valkron turned away, and then half turned back again. "Emeth?"

They looked back. The wizard had not followed them. He was still looking into the reddish-pink sky.

"What's wrong, Emeth?" asked Kushana.

"Nothing's wrong," he answered, blinking. "It's just that...from tonight onwards until the next month we have to stay indoors at night. There's absolutely no question of us even stepping outside. The pecos have to be brought in as well."

"It's the Dark, is it?" asked Valkron.

Emeth pointed up. "Look."

They followed his finger. There was a bluish patch in the sky that denoted night was coming.

"I don't know if you can see it, but there are two stars there," he said. "One is red, and the other is white. The red star is Iuna, and the white is Perila. It's rare to see Iuna and Perila together, but when they are together we call the congregation 'Entwining'. When that happens, it means that the evil in the seals is even more concentrated than ever."

"Another disturbance in the magical atmosphere?" asked Iruna.

"Yes." Emeth looked worried.

"What's wrong, Emeth?" asked the knight, seeig his expression.

"It's been predicted that Iuna and Perila will come even closer together," repled the wizard. "Iuna and Perila are two of Midgard's Guardian Stars. A lot of people think that Guardian Stars are absolute rubbish, but they're not."

"They exist to defend the world from outside influences from other dimensions and worlds," said Iruna softly.

"Exactly. Especially from the other worlds of the Yggdrasil, including Jotunheim, Svartalfheim and Niflheim."

"What do you mean, Niflheim?" said Valkron, raising an eyebrow. "We've got a Niflheim here, too."

Emet turned to look at him. Valkron was used to getting annoyed looks from the wizard, but he felt apprehensive. Emeth looked terribly troubled.

"There are seventeen Guardian Stars altogether," said the wizard. "Years ago, seventeen generals under the Eight fought for the world. During a battle against the giants, all of them were killed. To remember them, one of the Eight, also known as the Star Guardian, took one of their eyes and cast them into the sky, so that they would continue to watch over the world."

"Elsith," murmured Valkron.

"How did you know that was her name?"

"I read it in the library."

"Oh. Well, they will never come close together. They form a protective ring around Midgard, which creates the White Circle. The White Circle is yet another barrier against the evil held by the seals.

"The problem is that they are not as strong as the seals themselves, and are destroyed by large streams of evil. It's been a long time, but out of the seventeen, six have already been destroyed."

"What?" said everyone.

Emeth sighed. "Several years ago, we watched several Entwinings. Shortly after that, our astronomy wizard went up one night to check on the Entwinings, and came down screaming. Later on we discovered that of the ten Entwinings that took place earlier, six stars had crashed into each other. We were too late to see two of the pairs, but we saw the supernova the last pair had created."

He looked up. "We're worried for Iuna and Perila, and we're hoping that they won't crash. The White Circle is breaking; even though weak it is one of the many barriers the Eight set up that is important to Midgard."

Everyone was silent, for a long time. Valkron looked up into the sky, frowning.

"Has this been caused by the opening of the Portal?" he asked, at last.

"We don't know. It could have been possible."

Valkron shook his head. "We can't do anything to change it. Let's go back, it's getting dark."

They went back in silence. Khan and Emeth sat behind Valkron on his peco, and Kushana on Iruna's.

There was also no need to mention the Dark. By the time they had reached Repherion, all the pecos of the other knights and crusaders they had with them had been brought into the castles.

There were plenty of people living in the castles nowadays, and the dining halls were always filled with people no matter what time of the day. Valkron felt better once they had reached Repherion and were in its noisy heart. It was as if the castles had come to life.

The first thing Emeth did was to go to the meeting room to get the registrar lists. They waited for him at a table in the dining hall, in the midst of the chattering masses of guld members.

He came back at a run. "Valkron!"

"What is it?" asked the knight, as Emeth reached their table.

The wizard put the papers down on the table. "We've just received a registrar list from Shen. He's said that twenty people have joined Bamboo Grove Hill, along with his friends. That makes it thirty!"

"We've got a hundred and fifty members now, eh?" said Valkron. "I thought we couldn't accomodate that many?"

Emeth pulled out a piece of paper. "That's why he sent you this."

Valkron took one look at it and sprayed his tea across the table. It was a good thing that no one had been sitting opposite him.

"Guild _extension?_"

"What?" exclaimed the rest, getting to their feet and peering over his shoulder.

"Say hi to the Right Wing of the Phoenix," said the wizard.

"Wow, he can make really good decisions..." said Iruna, staring at the paper Valkron was holding.

"That's their guild report, by the way," said Emeth, as they continued to stare at it. "Shen apologizes for the lack of detail, but at the moment they're appointing people to the task."

Suddenly there was shouting. They looked up.

People were getting to their feet and staring in the direction of the door. Then there were yells of shock; there was something moving extremely fast towards them, leaping...

...across people's shoulders.

The blur landed in front of them, and resolved itself into Nocturne. For a second he looked completely normal, but he suddenly clutched at his head and staggered.

"Nocturne!" said Kushana, dashing to his side and holding him up. "You don't do the Assassin's Route unless in an emergency!"

"That's an Assassin's Route?" asked Valkron, his eyebrows raised.

Khan nodded. "It's a technique messengers use to get to a person in a crowd. Usually utilised in an emergency."

"But this _is_ an emergency!" protested Nocturne to Kushana. "I _had_ to use it!"

"All right, all right, calm down," said the knight, getting to his feet heavily. "Nocturne, what is it?"

"There are Royal Prontera guards in the hallway, sir! And with them is someone who wants to see you!"

Valkron stared. "And I can't turn down his request?"

"No, sir! He says that as the leader of a King's Mercenary guild you have to see him!"

The knight nodded. "Then I will."

* * *

Of course, he had not expected to see so many guards in the hall. People were staring at them, but they separated to let him and the rest pass.

The guards stepped aside respectfully as Valkron approached them. When the knight was a few metres away from them, he stopped.

It could not be. But it could be no one else.

A yellow-haired sage was standing in the middle of the guards. In one hand he held a staff. It was no ordinary staff - Valkron did not miss any inch of it, as he looked at it. A silver handle, with a two-headed eagle topping it...it was the staff held by all Royal magic users.

In his other hand was a book. A large, black book, bound in gold.

Valkron looked at the sage's face again. His hair was straw yellow, and stuck out at odd places. His eyes were turqoise blue, and although he seemed lazy and sloppy at first, there was an aura to him that Valkron recognised - the aura of a Prontera official.

"Greetings, Valkron of the Raulus," he said in a drawling voice. He lifted the staff. "You have been declared an official contender of the King's Mercenary guilds."

The crowd around them gasped. The sage hit the stone floor with the end of his staff. There was a burst of yellow light, before a circle with the two-headed eagle descended onto the floor where he had hit and emblazoned itself into a large black stamp.

To the surprise of everyone present, Valkron went down on one knee and bowed his head. "I am honoured," he said quietly.

The sage smiled a little, his downward-angled blue eys watching Valkron's every move. "I am grateful you are. There is no need for genuflection of any sort, Valkron. Rise." He motioned to the guards. "Leave us."

They trooped off, but stopped not far off. As they stood to attention, Valkron got to his feet. "And as to what occasion do I owe this honour to?"

The sage's smile broadened. "I do not know how you will respond to this." He held out his gloved hand. "I am the King's Guild Correspondent, and I am pleased to meet you. My name is Seyren."

Emeth stared. Iruna stared. Everyone stared.

Valkron took the gloved hand in his. They shook hands.

"I never expected to meet you, Seyren," he said. "I've heard much about you."

"I'm not surprised, Valkron," said Seyren.

_Honest men have a firm grip_, a voice in his said, _but although Seyren is trustworthy, that grip he has is not due to it. He is a warrior - and an excellent one, at that._

"So, how about a little chat?" asked the sage, once they had released each other's hands.

Valkron looked into Seyren's eyes, and immediately knew that it was more than just a 'little chat'.

"Sure," he said. "Just let me get my second-in-command to stop staring."

* * *

Valkron had to choose a room to talk to the sage in. Although the knight sincerely hated all the government officers, he didn't feel this way with Seyren. It was either to hate him, or tread carefully when he was around and be on his good side.

Not much of a choice there, but it would have to do.

Hlin, however, was the one who saved Valkron. She showed them a room that the knight had, up till now, never seen before. According to her later on, every castle had a room such as that, fully furnished - a meeting room for officers, if there ever came to be a need for it.

Valkron was surprised it existed. The room was large and well lit, with bookshelves lining one wall. All the books there were on tactics and war. There were leather armchairs, Southern tapestries, a soft Northern rug, and a huge fireplace above which hung a large guild flag with the Raulus phoenix emblazoned on it.

Valkron invited Seyren to sit, and the sage did so. Emeth chose to stand behind Valkron, and no matter how much the knight tried to get the wizard to sit using gestures, eye contact, head jerking and plenty of killing looks he refused.

"I have been longing to meet you for the past month, Valkron," said Seyren, crossing his legs casually. He reminded Valkron of a less uptight, more leisurely Vineis-like aristocrat. "You are famous. For the first time in guild history, you have reached your level in one month. I am impressed, Valkron, very impressed."

He settled back in his chair, smiling lazily. "Well, as I have been doing with every guild in the kingdom, I have been keeping an eye on your activities and the number of guild members you have. Now that you have one hundred and fifty people in your guild and an attendance rate of seventy to ninety people per guild session as of the recent times, it is time the government keeps an eye on you."

Valkron blinked. He had not expected Seyren to get down to business so fast and in such a straightforward manner.

The sage put his book down on the table between them. Valkron felt his eyes were invariably drawn towards it. After he saw the title, he felt as if his eyes could not tear away from it.

It read _The Laws and Ordinances of the Guilds of Rune-Midgard_.

"There are several requirements that you must carry out as a qualified King's Mercenary guild," continued Seyren, clearly unaware of them staring at the book. "Firstly, you must send a guild report in every month to me. I will personally arrive at the guild to pick it up. You may choose a deadline so that I know when your report will be ready; this can be confirmed next month by letter."

"What is the guild report supposed to contain?" asked Valkron, looking up with some difficulty.

"It must contain the following criteria, of which I have written down for you." Seyren pulled out a piece of paper from his book and handed it to Valkron, who took it and read. "Secondly, you must not reject any of the King's invitations unless you have a good reason to. Whatever the purpose of the King's invitations, it is compulsory."

"I see," said Valkron, handing it over to Emeth, who took it in silence.

"Thirdly, your guild is now subject to an annual taxation of five percent. As your economy increases, so will the rate, but I will inform you when the tax rates change. Fourthly, you must submit in fixed guild policies by next month, to me."

"It must be tough, looking after all these guilds," said Emeth. Valkron gave him a look which he ignored.

Seyren looked suprised, but only for a moment. His lazy face returned almost immediately. "Well, it is, but it's my job."

He got to his feet. "And now I must be off."

"Things to see to, I'm sure," said Valkron, getting to his feet.

"Yes. At the moment there is a guild that must be judged for blackmail, guild policies to revise and modify, and updating of records." Seyren bowed his head slightly. "Indeed, a job that I must do."

Valkron and Emeth accompanied him to the group of guards waiting in the hallway. Seyren nodded to the two of them.

"I hope we meet again, Valkron," he said. "Hopefully not in court. Till then, I bid you farewell."

They watched him leave in silence. When they were well and truly gone, Emeth said, "He's impressive."

"He's clever."

The wizard looked at Valkron, whose eyes had narrowed.

"Seyren is immensely shrewd, I can see," he said. "And putting his book down in front of me was a gesture I will never forget. He was indirectly telling me to follow the rules."

"Of course we will, would we?" asked Emeth.

Valkron did not answer.

* * *

Later on, in the middle of the night, Valkron woke up. He stared at the ceiling, unsure of why he had abruptly opened his eyes.

Then he got out of his feet and went to the window. He stared out of it, at the sky.

Up in the dark sky Iuna and Perila were shining brightly, so brightly that they seemed to illuminate the whole sky with their combined incandescence, such was the small distance between them. Valkron watched them.

_Do I really believe in the Guardian Stars?_ he thought. _They are nothing but a myth._

_You read about the Eight yourself, Valkron_, said a voice in his head. _How can you doubt it?_

_What if they were humans elevated to the rank of heroes by ordinary people?_ thought Valkron defensively. _Who can trust historical documents?_

There was no answer.

Valkron sighed and turned to go. There was no point in staring out of the window. He had preparations to see to the next day--

Suddenly the bright light outside intensified. Valkron turned around. His eyes widened.

The stars Iuna and Perila had collided. They were now one large mass of light, spreading out into a ring around them.

But it was not the supernova Valkron was looking at. He could see something else. Something else he had not noticed before.

The two stars were the centre of a massive magic circle.

The circle had appeared from nowhere, and it was glowing blue. As he watched it seemed to crack, emitting sparks as the dark jagged line split apart the ring. However, it stopped soon, running from the edge to the almost the centre.

Then the circle faded away.

Valkron could feel the apprehension in him, and no matter how much he tried to push it down it did not give. At the same time he could see dark purple spots of light in the horizon, falling slowly to Midgard.

_The seal_, he thought. _One of the seals holding the souls. It's weakening. The Dark is really coming on us now._

For some time he stared unseeingly out of the window. Now he was not thinking of the seals, or the Guardians Stars. He was thinking of the things he knew, the things he had not told the others, not even Iruna.

Valkron was not able to predict the future. He did not have the ability to. But as he thought of the possibilities of what might happen, he could feel the place where Argath had stabbed him with his sword throb every time he thought of something bad that might happen, and he knew it was going to be true. He just knew.

At length he thought to himself, _It's not like we've got a choice. We must keep walking on. We must keep fighting, even if we're all going to die one day. We cannot change fate._

He turned away from the window. _And thinking that kind of thoughts already breaks a guild rule._

* * *

I feel like the story is getting faster and faster.


	41. Fighting for the Giant

Chapter 41  
**Fighting for the Giant**

Iruna was walking along a pavilion in the courtyard of the Junoan Church when someone came running up to her.

"Urgent message for you, sergeant," he said, handing the letter over to her.

"Is it from the headquarters?" she asked, opening it and scanning the words.

"No, it came from a messenger."

Iruna's head jerked up, her blue hair flying everywhere. "I need to go," she said. "Thank you for telling me."

She flew through the Church, only stopping to sign herself out at the front desk before taking a warp back to Geffen. As soon as she had reached Geffen she hurried to where the guild flags stood and warped to Repherion.

By the time she burst into the meeting room, almost everyone had assembled there. Valkron was observing a large map pinned up on the wall in front of him, and so did not see her.

"What is going on?" she said breathlessly.

Khan turned to her. "We're making preparations for claiming Yesnelph and Bergel."

"But that's not till next week!"

Amaru pointed with his axe at the map pinned up on the wall. "We will need preparations for that," he said, in his deep voice.

Iruna turned to look. And stared.

The castle was _huge_. Of all the castles they had seen or been to, this was the only one that had _four_ doors and three gates. The ground floor was a mass of warp points and paths to take, all carefully marked out by Valkron.

"What the..."

"That's Yesnelph," said Emeth, who had just arrived. He was carefully tucking away his watch into his pouch. "Valkron and I just came back from surveying the castle and you won't believe how vast it is. The largest castle in Britoniah, and the largest in all the castle realms. You're seeing a big 'un there."

'What about Bergel?"

"Let's just deal with Yesnelph first, eh?"

"I've come to the conclusion that we might need Albrecht's Heavy Arms to defend Repherion and Merseitzdeitz," said Valkron distantly, still staring at the map. Everyone fell silent. "Shen has agreed to send half his Rangers over to Britoniah to keep an eye on our backs."

"What if people attack Bamboo Grove Hill as well?" asked someone. Iruna turned to see the leaders of the Repherion divisions standing along one wall, looking anxious.

"The other half of Shen's Rangers will stay at Bamboo Grove Hill and defend the sniper areas. Shen also has the Spear Division with him, and I know for a fact that no one gets through Shen's spear knights. I don't know what he does to them to make them so fearsome, but it's something to consider when attacking him." Valkron was still looking at the map. "Albrecht's Watchers might do as well, since they're good at timing their traps well."

"What about us?" asked Emeth.

The knight turned around. "All of you are coming with me to Yesnelph next week. And after that, next time remind me to create an 'away' group as well. This should be the last time I have to deal with a defence cover problem." He sighed.

"But why are we here several days before the fighting?" asked Kala.

Valkron pointed at the map. "Look at this. The paths into Yesnelph are complicated and long. The distance we have to cover between the portals are huge, and I can't guarantee that we'll have the time to go after Bergel. We'll be having a seriously hard time in Yesnelph already, what with the number of guardians we'll be facing and the monsters that will be in the emperium room. Yesnelph is no funny business. It'll take several days for us to prepare the divisions for their proper roles."

He turned around. "Now, I need to talk to all of you concerning each and every role you play in the guild war. Starting with you, Samaroh."

* * *

Although no one believed Valkron at first, it did take several days for him to finish the entire matter. There was organization, role-dividing, preparations, and discussions. Divisions ran into problems they never realised would happen, and Valkron helped them resolve the matters. It wasn't only until the day before the next guild war did he really approach Iruna for hers.

"I've never really asked you what you do in the war," he said apologetically. "I mean, what _do_ you do?"

"I support my division as much as I can, as well as fight," she replied. "Mostly reflecting damage, healing, curing...you know what I do."

"Yeah, I do," he said.

"I'm going to be switching from shield and sword to spear, though."

"Why?"

"Because I fight faster with a spear, and on a peco. Of course, I won't be shirking my duty as a supporter, but I can't always support at the same time."

Valkron looked thoughtful. "Well, I guess you have to sacrifice some of your duties. We all have to. Khan's no longer a backup, for example; he's now become an emperium breaker."

"It fits him."

"Yes, but he likes to fight people more. Says it gives him something better to do." Valkron sighed.

Iruna put a hand on his shoulder. "You've been running around for several days listening to everyone's problems and fixing them. Why don't you go and see to yourself for a few hours? Take a relaxing bath, maybe, or go and read, or..."

Valkron looked at her.

Iruna's voice came back. "You are really one of a kind."

"I could choose to do all those things you said," he said quietly, smiling. "But I'd much rather spend time with you. How long has it been since we sat together?"

Iruna's face broke out into an amused, gentle smile. "Oh, you." She threw her arms around his neck, and rested her head against his chest as she felt him stroke her hair.

"We seriously need some time off," he said. "From everything."

"They're planning to stop holding the guild war in the middle of the twelfth month," she pointed out. "From then on till the thirteenth month is over, the guild war won't be going on."

"That sounds good."

Silence descended on them. Iruna snuggled into Valkron's arms. He was right; it felt as if it had been a long time since they had been together, alone. His warmth was comforting, and she felt rested and safe. She had been working away in the Order of Juno, and had not been returning to the guild castle for several nights due to preaching.

And she had missed him terribly on those nights...

Iruna wondered if their relationship was ever going to any farther. Valkron had calmly refused point-blank to talk about it, although he did seem troubled when she brought the topic up, especially recently. She did not want to press the matter; he had been burdened enough by his duties as a knight and as a guild leader.

But she knew it could not go on like this forever. Without a proper bond between them, they would always be that way - living separate lives, never truly knowing each other's fears and dreams.

She wondered if he trusted her. Maybe not with his own fears, but at least with his life.

Valkron had closed his eyes, when she looked up at him. She could feel his breath on her ear.

"Valkron?" she asked.

"Hm?"

"What are you thinking?"

"Nothing much." He nuzzled her hair. "Your hair is so soft. I missed having you with me."

She subsided into silence. What did he mean by that? It was rare to have him so absorbed with her, especially because he seemed so distracted everything these days.

As if reading her thoughts, Valkron said, "I've been so busy these past few days that I've forgotten how it feels to be with you. I don't even want to let go of you now."

"Valkron?"

"Yes?"

"What would you do if I died?"

The knight opened his eyes and looked at her. "Why are you asking me such a question?"

"Well, as warriors we can't expect to stay immortal, do we? Even the Eight died in battle."

"Well, for one thing I hope you don't die while I'm still alive," he said. "But if you do...well...I don't know. I do mourn, but I never grieve for long. I just accept that someone's moved on. Sometimes I don't even think they're dead."

"Why is that?"

Valkron's voice grew soft. "Because in a way I still remember them. They live in my memory. 'A man is not dead if his name is still spoken.' That's what we believe, in the Chivalry."

"But wouldn't you wish I hadn't died? If you had the chance, would you want to bring me back to life?"

When Valkron answered, Iruna felt as if she had stepped across the line.

"No. I can't be stuck mourning for someone, and they'll never move on if I don't stop mourning. And it's rubbish, bringing back people to life."

The crusader felt afraid, but something in her made her press on.

"But wouldn't you miss me? It's not like you to--"

"I said that I won't be a stupid idiot and think that the person I love is mine forever!"

Iruna automatically shrank back. Valkron's voice had grown hard and cold; however, his arms prevented her from moving back any further.

"It's not like I'd feel nothing at their deaths," he said. "I'm used to death. I've seen a lot of people die, especially my friends. However, I just can't say anything. Please don't talk about death anymore, Iruna. I don't want to talk about it."

She looked up to find him staring down at her; she couldn't believe what she was seeing. Was she imagining things, or were his eyes filling up with tears?

"Are you all right, Valkron?" she asked softly.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He pulled her close to him and buried his face into her hair.

After a long while, she heard him whisper, "I won't let anyone take you from me."

* * *

The next day, when a small guild arrived at Repherion they found it to be heavily guarded by several troops of knights, wizards, sages and blacksmiths. They attempted to advance, but left later on due to the discouraging backup of Albrecht's Heavy Arms.

Meanwhile, Valkron and his group were running through Yesnelph, weapons drawn and at the ready. Emeth, as usual, was felling guardians like trees.

Suddenly Kushana skidded in front of Valkron. The knight was so shocked he yanked hard on the reins of his peco; the bird honked in distress and braked, leaving large grooves in the stone.

"There are traps here," she said, staring at the ground. "Someone's here."

"Show us where the traps are set, and we'll help dismantle them," said Nocturne.

Kushana motioned to her falcon. Isaac flew down and hovered over a spot on the floor. As soon as she had unearthed the trap he flew to another spot and hovered above it. Zak joined in the removing the traps.

After a short while Nocturne got to his feet. "It's a whole field of land mines," he said. "Whoever set them must be very intent on stopping anyone from entering the next floor."

"How about letting a guardian run across them?" asked Emeth, grinning.

Several minutes later Kushana had successfully lured a guardian to step on the remaining land mines. As the set of armour reeled they ran past it in the path it had created while trying to get Isaac. They warped through to the next floor straightaway.

Valkron immediately regretted it. There were people in there already, and they had been clearly anticipating another guild.

"You think we'd let you take a full run of Britoniah?" shouted an assassin over the din of screams and shouts, as their defence line met Valkron's troops. "No way are we letting you get to the emperium!"

Valkron swore and yanked Khan over to him. "Get to them as soon as you can. Bring the other assassins with you; Zak and Silas would be a good pair to take with you. Go!"

Khan took off at a full run and vanished from sight. The knight sheathed his sword and pulled out his scythe.

"You're all going to pay for this."

It took them half an hour, but with quite a lot of help from Emeth and Iruna they cleared out the room. Those who retreated went after their comrades on the next floor; Valkron left the injured alone. Although he was angry with them, he did not intend to kill them.

By the time they got to the last floor they had half an hour left before they could reach the emperium. However, the room was so full of people battling monsters that even Valkron nearly got lost.

"Emeth, get around to the warp and prevent anyone from getting through!" he shouted across the heads of people fighting around him. "Amaru, go after the crystal and stop anyone else from breaking it! Samaroh, heal the emperium if you see none of our guild on the pedestal--"

An assassin leapt up onto the peco and plunged his katar blade deep into his shoulder.

Valkron felt the shock run through him, but there was no pain. He suddenly realised that there was a white light around him, and turned to see Iruna clutching her bleeding shoulder.

"Get going, Valkron!" she shouted, getting to her feet.

The knight was torn in between protecting her and going after the emperium. He hesitated. In that second the assassin leapt up and aimed his katar at Valkron's head...

...and was knocked aside by a heavy shield spinning through the air.

"_Go, Valkron!_" screamed Iruna.

The knight dug his heels into his peco's flanks. The bird charged forward into the fray; people scattered left to right as he galloped through them. He could see the golden crystal now; the assassin who had shouted at him was whacking away at it frantically. Shards of emperium were flying everywhere.

Valkron turned, and saw Samaroh, surrounded by green light, holding a blue gemstone up. The gemstone was disintegrating slowly; the white light emitting from it was restoring the crystal. The knight sighed in relief.

All of a sudden a monk struck Samaroh across the back of the head. Valkron watched in horror as his priest went down. Emeth, just then, whacked the monk across the face with his staff, knocking the monk out in turn.

Amaru leapt past Valkron, and shoved the assassin off the pedestal. Nocturne fired into the air; cursed arrows rained down on everyone. Kushana's falcon dived and swooped, clawing at people's eyes as they tried to chase him off. Iruna was now swinging a heavy spear around her; people were dispersing fairly quickly. Eni and Aramithar were bombarding people with explosive potions and plant bottles; there were a large number of flora attacking and being attacked around the room. Nalini was swiftly attacking people who got into her way, while protecting Kala. The dancer herself was flinging arrows with her whip.

Valkron turned. On his other side Silas and Zak were working together to wipe out several people in one go. Kumahar was also firing arrows by using the strings of his instrument to fling them across the room at high speed. Khan was battling the assassin who had been attacking the emperium.

The crystal was alone.

The knight dug his heels into the peco's flanks again; it charged forward. He threw his scythe at the crystal before pulling out his pike and swinging it hard onto the shimmering surface. It shuddered as he kept hitting it ferociously, so hard that he was violently slamming the pike repeatedly into the crystal.

Suddenly he felt something bury its sharp head into his shoulder. He winced, but he did not stop. A dancer whirled past and struck out with her whip; his peco squawked in pain as the whip lashed it. The knight felt another arrow bypass his chainmail and bury its head into him, but he continued whacking the emperium.

Another knight charged towards him. Valkron gritted his teeth and swung the pike in a roundhouse blow, sweeping the other knight off his peco and hitting the crystal right after that. The knight leapt to his feet and lunged at Valkron with his spear.

That was the last straw for Valkron. He swung his leg off the peco; the other knight's expression barely had time to change before Valkron grabbed his hair and slammed his face into the crystal.

Lightning crackled around the area where Valkron was. The knight looked up to see a massive cloud gathering over the ceiling, light flashing inside it. He wanted to run, but he felt as if he was frozen at the spot--

And then Samaroh flew into him.

Valkron felt himself skid across the floor. He sat up, ignoring his spinning head, just in time to see lightning hit Samaroh.

Right after that Emeth knocked out the wizard who did it, but Valkron did not see it. The other knight had taken over his mind and body.

The assassin Khan had been fighting had somehow got to the crystal again, and was dealing even more blows to it. Valkron leapt on the pedestal and buried the hilt of his sword into the assassin's solar plexus.

There was so much fighting that no one did see the assassin leap to his feet and defend himself from Valkron's blows. No one saw the knight break the assassin's nose and grab him by the collar before throwing him at the crystal.

It was also probably a good thing that Iruna pulled off her blindfold and saw the knight pull back his arm, ready to plunge it into the assassin.

She slammed into Valkron, shoving him away from the assassin. As the both of them tried to recover, she aimed and threw her shield at the emperium.

It shattered.

* * *

Emeth sighed. "You look a right mess, Samaroh."

"Shut up," said the priest, with some difficulty. Blood was streaming out of his nose and staining his robes; one bloody hand was trying to stem the flow by pinching the bridge of his nose. He was also suffering from burns, which Silas was now healing.

The wizard bit his lip, but did not say anything. He turned to look at the rest of the Raulus guild. They were splattered with blood and covered in scratches, cuts and burns. The other guild had been completely merciless in trying to stop them.

"At least we have Iruna to thank," he said quietly. "But I really don't know what happened to Valkron."

They turned to look at the knight. He was sitting at the base of the Raulus' own emperium, which had quickly grown to replace the castle's crystal, and looking like a complete wreck. His white hair was dark and matted with drying blood; his hands were still dripping with the liquid. Iruna was sitting in front of him, watching him carefully.

Samaroh coughed as the blood from his nose began to disappear in the white light of Silas' heal. "Yeah, well, I'm thankful I wasn't the one on the receiving end of his anger. If Iruna hadn't stopped him he would have killed that assassin."

Emeth frowned. He had only heard stories of Valkron going completely berserk, but he had never seen it. He was glad that he had not seen the knight hit the assassin, but looking at the knight now was enough to know how far he could go.

"What guild was that?" he said wonderingly.

"No idea." Samaroh now looked much better. The blood from his nose was gone. "Thanks, Silas. Now it's time for everyone to get healed. Get together."

They all did so. Samaroh got to his feet and opened the book he carried with him. He closed his eyes and let his hand hover above its pages.

White light streamed out from the book and surrounded him. In the silence they watched, astounded, as he opened his mouth and began to sing. His light voice filled up the room, and as it did the white light around him intensified and spread around the room. As the magic worked away, the blood on everyone began to disappear; they smiled as their wounds healed.

When it was over they got to their feet and began to laugh and talk. Only Valkron did not. He slipped out of the emperium room.

Iruna was the only one who saw him go. After making sure no one was watching her, she went after him.

* * *

She found him outside the gates of Yesnelph, standing forlornly next to his peco. It was nuzzling him, but he was not responding.

Iruna approached him carefully. "Valkron?"

He did not look at her. She walked over to him and put her hand on his shoulder.

"Are you afraid I might turn you away after I see you almost kill someone?" she asked.

There was no sound for some time, except for the chirping of crickets around them and the grunting of Valkron's peco. Then he said, "I didn't mean it."

Iruna reached out to him. He jerked away from her hands.

"Valkron..."

"I've dedicated my life to defending the world," he said. "I don't want to become close to you. I might end up killing you, or even killing myself. I don't want you to despair because you have to protect me. I just want to fight alone, away from everyone, so that they don't have to suffer."

"Valkron."

He turned to look at her.

She slapped him across the face.

The sound rang out through the forest. The birds rose from the trees, startled by the sharp sound. The wind rose around them.

"I don't know why you're so selfish at times like this," she said angrily. "Why do you fight alone when we share the same goals? Aren't we your comrades? You've told us what to do, how to do things. You're sharing your burden with us. Why can't we protect each other, Valkron? Why must you fight alone? Of course we're afraid of dying, but it doesn't mean we don't fight for each other! It doesn't mean you have to shoulder everything, do you? Why do you love me, then? Because I'm there for you? If I'm there for you, then doesn't that mean I'll help you? Aren't we your guild members, Valkron? _Aren't we your friends?_"

Valkron looked at her. The light of the sunset shimmered on Iruna's tears streaming down her face. She was crying, her shoulders shaking, but she was still glaring at him.

"Just because you're the leader doesn't mean you can do whatever you like!" she sobbed. "We need you on this! Why can't we help? We're the people who stood by your side during the Dark Portal! We're the ones supporting you every time we fight! Why can't you see you're not alone?"

Valkron stared. He had never seen Iruna break down before. She was now sobbing violently, her entire body shaking as her sobs wracked the air and her tears flowed freely.

Somehow, the shock at her slapping him gave way. He reached out hesitantly and touched her. She wept, covering her face with both hands and completely ignoring him.

"I don't know what you want from us," she sobbed, half-muffled, "but you're being an idiot if you want to fight alone!"

He looked down at his feet, his face burning with shame. She was right.

"Does that mean...you won't stop me now?" he asked hesitantly. He didn't even want to hear the answer, but his mouth had just asked it of its own accord.

"What do you mean by that? If I have to stop anyone I will! If you think I'm just going to leave you rot you're wrong!"

To his shock she grabbed him and hugged him so tightly he felt the air in his lungs squeezed out of him. As he stared, he suddenly realised what she meant.

He felt the coldness in his heart shatter. Suddenly he knew he was no longer alone. He would never walk alone in the dark anymore.

Valkron put his arms around her and buried his face into her hair. It was so soft and warm, and somehow it reminded him of...

Iruna felt the wetness in her hair. She did not look, but she knew she had reached him. He had learned.

After a while, both of them became aware of the whispering around them. They lifted their heads and looked around, before looking up.

Little white clumps drifted down around them. Out in the night, they were surrounded by falling snow.

Valkron looked into Iruna's eyes and smiled.


	42. Memories of Darkness

Chapter 42  
**Memories of Darkness**

The guild war could have gone on, but after it began to snow the Guild Liaison Office called off the War of Emperium. The weather forecast as predicted by the sages in Juno ("I don't envy them, being up much higher than we are," said Emeth one night) was going to be "very cold, very windy, expecting blizzards to hit northern areas such as Al de Baran, Mjolnir and probably Prontera".

"Looks like we're going to see the Dark Portal again," said Valkron, to a chorus of "Don't talk about that again!" and "Aww, come on! Who'd want to remember that?"

"I'm not looking forward to it," said Samaroh darkly.

"Yeah, well, you're not the only one," said Emeth. "What would I give to forget everything that happened when--"

As one the group exclaimed, "Emeth!"

"Okay, okay, I got your point."

"What? I don't understand what's going on," said Kala. Nalini, Silas, Zak, Kumahar, Aramithar and Kushana looked up.

"We don't talk about it these days," said Iruna. "It's left one too many painful memories."

"Yeah, true," said Emeth, wincing.

"One too many might be an understatement, really," said Samaroh.

"What? I don't get it! I'm confused!" said the dancer, in complete bewilderment.

"Don't you know?" asked Kushana. "They were the Raulus party, the people who battled the Dark Portal and s--"

"If you say we saved the world I'm never going to forgive you," warned Emeth.

"--uh...I mean, helped us all," finished the huntress, giving Emeth an apologetic look.

The other six stared at them. Valkron sighed.

"Yeah, we were them," he said, to the stunned six. "But if you ever bring up anything about it, whether you want to praise us or talk to us about it, don't try. We don't talk about it."

"But it's what made you guys famous," began Nalini.

"We never intended to be famous," replied Emeth. "And fame just doesn't fit what we went through. We'd like to be left alone."

The sage gave him an accusing stare. Emeth simply raised his eyebrows and nodded at her. After a while Nalini broke off eye contact, clearly defeated.

Valkron felt something travel up his spine. He knew what was waiting in store for them, in the future. He had to tell them, somehow--

"I think I'll go to bed," he heard himself say. He frowned. That wasn't what he had intended.

"Well then, have a good night's sleep," said Iruna.

"Yep, sweet dreams," said Emeth casually.

Valkron gave the wizard a look. "It's very disturbing to hear you say that, Emeth."

"I never said I was normal," replied the wizard, waving him off with a wave of his hand.

Valkron sighed and went off.

Once in his room he locked the door and went over to the mirror in the bathroom. He shut the door and turned and stared at himself in it.

_Why can't I tell them?_ he thought, staring into his own eyes. _They have a right to know._

_They will try to stop you, and you know it cannot be stopped. It is the required balance that must take place._

_But they will be devastated._

_They will understand. No man is immortal._

_Still...the emotional stress will be a heavy burden to them._

_It will build them, and let them see to the future on their own. You believe in their strength; test it._

_This is not a test I can simply conduct just to see if they can understand! That's cruel!_

_It is necessary. A cold decision that is necessary._

Valkron buried his face in his hands. He hated the voice in his head. It always told him what to do, and he often disliked what it told him to do.

_You can't deny anything, Valkron. Remember what Odin did when he found about the truth?_

"I am not Odin," whispered the knight. "I am just a human."

There was no answer to this, but the voice had done its damage. Valkron felt sickened by what he knew. To know more than he did, and yet not tell it to anyone...

...and there was that wretched box to fix later on, when he got back to the Chivalry.

The knight sighed, and went to wash his face before he went to bed. He did not look at himself in the mirror for quite a few months after that.

* * *

Vineis watched the snow outside. It was no blizzard, but it looked similar to it. It had completely driven everyone in the Valkyrie Realms indoors, and every fireplace in Gondul had been lit.

"Hello, Vineis."

The wizard turned in surprise. Alya was shutting the door behind her, wearing a simple winter peasant's dress with a woollen shawl draped over her shoulders and around her head to form a hood. She was taking it off now.

"Alya, what are you doing here?" asked Vineis, striding across the room over to her. "You came all the way from Nuernberg just to see me?"

"Well, why not?" she replied.

Vineis sighed. "I can never understand you women."

Alya laughed. "Oh, you don't need to." She stepped forward and threw her arms around his neck. "Besides, it's been a long time since I've ever had the time to meet you in private."

"Ever since that night?" asked Vineis, smiling. "Missing something in your life?"

The sage giggled. "Don't tease me now, Vineis. You're missing it too."

The wizard wrapped his arms around her. "I know."

They held each other for some time, before Vineis withdrew. "But why are you here?"

Alya looked at him, her blue eyes large and clear. "It's cold outside, and it'll be dark and cold from tonight onwards till the New Year. I don't want you to be the same inside." She put a hand on the left side of his chest.

Vineis' eyes softened. "You...don't have to."

"Vineis, I am your wife," she said. "Your troubles are mine. Besides, you're always unhappy. People see you smile, but they never know how much pain you're going through every day. It still hurts, doesn't it?"

"Well, yes," he admitted, a tad reluctantly.

"Then share the pain with me," said Alya. "Please?"

Vineis opened his mouth to protest, but relented when he saw Alya's expression. "All right, Alya. I will."

The sage pulled him over to the bed nearby and made him sit down. She sat next to him and leaned on his shoulder. Vineis slipped an arm around her waist and watched the snow flying past the window.

After a while she said, "Vineis?"

"Hm?"

"Have you ever told anyone about it?"

Vineis' voice was strained. "No."

Alya lifted her head. "Why not?"

"Because I don't trust anyone," he replied, looking at her. "Because I behave like an aristocrat so much that people see me as someone not worth talking to about insignificant things. Because people think I don't understand emotions. And maybe because...I don't deserve sympathy."

"You always say that." Alya looked pained. "On the contrary, you need a lot more than you're receiving. It saddens me to see you always alone, always thinking about things."

"No one wants to befriend a wizard whose experiments are on living creatures," said Vineis.

"It's not that. That's just you, Vineis. But you've become the way you are now because people have never seen you for the person you are. They always judge you before they know you. It isn't fair. They always leave you alone."

Vineis looked down at his hands. Alya continued to watch him.

After a while he whispered, "I'm afraid."

"Afraid of what?" Alya said.

"Everyone." Vineis lifted his head slightly. "I have no one to trust."

"What about me?"

He looked at her. She stared back at him.

Then he turned away, so suddenly that she blinked in surprise. His hand went up to his face.

After watching him for a few minutes, Alya looked at his shoulders. They were shaking very slightly. She reached out and hugged him.

"I'm here," she said. "I'll always be here. I promise."

* * *

The Raulus had to stay in for the next day as well. A full storm had hit the northern, eastern and western areas of the kingdom, and no one could venture out if they were not dressed properly. Samaroh was the only one who returned home from Prontera, shivering violently despite the fact he was now wearing the winter uniform for priests.

"I don't get it," said Emeth "You're wearing at least six layers under those robes, and you're still cold?"

"Do you want to go and try it for yourself?" snapped the priest.

"Eh, no thanks."

As night fell, the main body of the Raulus retreated to the meeting room, where they sat around chatting and reading, save for a few people. Aramithar worked away on his potion making, while Emeth organized his research for his next lesson. Samaroh and Nocturne chose to play a game of chess in front of the fireplace. Valkron watched them nearby.

It was coming midnight, as some of the members were voicing their tiredness, when there were frantic knocks on the meeting room door. Emeth went to open it, and found the merchant Albrecht standing in front of it.

"There's a man who needs help in the nearby village," he said, to the room. "His wife's giving birth for the first time, and they're asking for a priest who can help."

"No priests with you, Albrecht?" asked Valkron.

"They went home before the storm. Merseitzdeitz is empty, too."

"We don't have priests here," said Emeth, not lifting his head from his work. "They're all at home, too."

Albrecht looked desperate. "Please help. The man's with me, and he keeps begging me to find a priest quickly. According to him his wife's been in labour for five hours."

"What happened to the midwife?" asked Samaroh, looking up.

"She doesn't know what to do," replied the merchant quickly. "Apparently there's some sort of complication."

Everyone looked at Samaroh. He was looking very intently at Albrecht.

"Right," he said, getting to his feet. "I'll resume the game with you when I get back, Nocturne. Hlin, could you be so kind as to go and get my pack? It looks like I'm going to need to run to the village through the snow."

The Kafra nodded and hurried off. Samaroh quickly dressed, and by the time she came back he was ready.

"See you guys," he said.

"Wait, Samaroh," said Valkron. "Bring Hlin with you. She might be able to help."

The priest looked at the Kafra, who stood to attention. "You can deal with blood and things like that?"

"I'm not too sure, but I'll try," she said, although she had paled a little at the mention of blood.

"You're a strong woman, I know that." He turned away as she blushed. "All right, then. Lead the way, Albrecht."

The merchant hurried out. Samaroh and Hlin followed. The rest watched them go anxiously.

Although some of them had expressed their intentions to turn in early, no one else left the room. They felt worried. Samaroh was getting slightly popular because of his skills and knowledge at Physic, but he had told them before that birthing was not as easy as it looked, and was just as messy as cleaning out deep wounds by hand. No one had wanted to eat after he had said that.

They waited. There was a little pendulum clock that Hlin had bought at a fair, set on the wall. It ticked loudly in the silence as they waited. Occasionally someone would glance at it, but other than that they never mentioned anything about the time.

The night wore on. The wind howled around the battlements outside. The hour hand had passed twelve and was now pointing at two.

Two in the morning. Valkron was worried.

"Those who find themselves tired, get to bed," he said, in the silence. "You're not going to stay up here waiting for him."

"I'll wait for him, I have to make sure he's okay," said Kushana, who had gone considerably white. Eni put arm around the huntress' shoulders and comforted her in whispers. Nalini, Kala, Kumahar, Silas and Zak went off. Aramithar stayed.

At half past two the door of the room opened. Everyone looked up to see Hlin. Alone.

"What happened?" asked Valkron, as the Kafra took off her fur coat while Iruna made a cup of hot tea.

"Samaroh sent me back because he said I needed a rest. He has to stay behind to help out with complications." The Kafra accepted the mug from Iruna. "Thank you. It's unbelievably freezing out there."

"How did it go?" asked Eni, looking up from comforting Kushana. The huntress looked up as well.

Hlin looked from her mug of tea, her eyes shining. "Oh, he was amazing! When we got there he immediately went to see what was happening and got everyone there to get him what he needed while he worked away. He was a bit apprehensive at first, but the woman's husband told the midwife to step aside and let him do the job. It's a baby boy."

Everyone in the room sighed with relief. Then Kushana asked, "What complications does he have to see to?"

"He said something about the woman bleeding," the Kafra replied, frowning a little. "He looked a bit worried, but when I asked if I could help, he said I needed to rest and told me to come home."

The remaining guild members seemed satisfied, although Kushana still looked worried. Eni continued to console her.

While they waited, Hlin, who seemed to have regained energy from the tea she drank, chattered happily away about what she had seen.

"I felt so awed when he brought the baby out," she said. "it was like he was holding something precious in his arms. And when I told him he was up to the elbows in blood, he said, 'It's the blood of life, and it's something most people take for granted.' I've never seen someone so dedicated in my life."

"It's his passion," said Emeth, still working away. "I understand what he feels."

"Yeah, and for the fifteenth time tonight I'm asking you to get to bed, you idiot," Valkron told him. "Get going."

"Wait, I'm almost done."

"That's the fifth time you said that in the past hour!"

Everyone laughed at their faces, even Kushana.

Then the door opened.

They looked up to see Samaroh, covered in snow, looking weary but triumphant. He was completely devoid of blood, and seemed to be in quite a good mood.

At the sight of him everyone rose off their chairs.

"Good going, Samaroh!"

"Go you!"

"We need to celebrate this, somehow!"

"You told them?" he asked Hlin, who nodded happily.

"Why doesn't anyone sing your praises, man?" asked Emeth, his hands on his hips and a big grin on his face. "Come on, don't look like that. You've just done something no other priest has ever done!"

"It's nothing," he said, taking off his coat and hanging it up. "Anyone could have done it. The midwife was panicking, that was all. The only thing was the complications, but they weren't that hard to resolve."

Kushana flew from her seat. The next second she was hugging him tightly.

"Why are you so modest, Samaroh?" she said, half-muffled by his shoulder. "I'm so proud of you! I knew you'd make it big in--"

That was when Samaroh shoved her away from him.

Everyone stared in shock. Kushana looked stunned and a little frightened. No one had expected this, and certainly no one had expected him to say what he shouted next.

"Don't tell me that kind of thing! I know you don't mean it, you're just trying to make yourself look good!"

There was silence. Samaroh looked at them, as if seeing them for the first time. His face changed into an expression of shock as well. Then he whirled round, his robes flying out behind him, and strode out of the room. The door slammed shut behind him.

In the silence Emeth said, "I think we missed something here."

Kushana buried her face in her hands. "After all these years," she said, half-muffled, "I thought I'd understood him. He's proved me wrong."

Eni got to her feet and went over to her. "Why is that so?" she asked. "Isn't it Samaroh's fault? He's always behaved this way."

"No, there's a reason." Kushana lifted her head; there were tears in her eyes. "He grew up into that kind of behaviour for a reason."

"He never had any attention."

Everyone looked at Valkron.

"He told me himself, during the time of the Dark Portal," said the knight calmly. "I guessed that's partially that behaviour."

"I don't know what happened between him and our parents," said Kushana, as Eni watched anxiously. "He moved out as soon as he became a priest, and never came back home. Shortly afterwards I met him in Prontera, and I told him that our parents were waiting for him back home. He got angry with me and left, saying that God is his father and mother, and that I didn't understand anything."

"That's not a nice thing to say," said Eni indignantly. "You don't even know what happened!"

"Wait, Eni," said the knight. "Before you go and rant about him, I suggest we listen to what he has to say first. Everyone has a reason for behaving the way they do."

He looked at Kushana, who was wiping the tears from her eyes. "Don't worry, Kushana. I'm sure your brother would tell me."

"I wish he'd tell me what happened," she said, her voice trembling.

Valkron nodded. "I'll do that tomorrow."

* * *

In his room Samaroh got ready for bed. As he hung up his robes his eyes glazed over, as if he was thinking.

After a while he took off the silver cross around his neck and looked at it, for some time. Then he put it down and went to bed.

* * *

The next morning everyone slept in. Only Valkron, Emeth and Iruna came down and were present in the meeting room when Samaroh walked in.

He moved around, making tea. The three of them did not say anything until he had finished washing his mug and was drying it.

Then Valkron said, "Samaroh, can we speak to you?"

The priest looked up. "Sure."

Iruna asked, "Why did you say that Kushana last night?"

Emeth said, "You seemed a bit put off that she hugged you."

Samaroh looked at them. For a split second Valkron thought that he was going to become pompous and tell them that they didn't need to know. Instead he sighed.

"I think I owe you an explanation," he said.

"Please sit down, then," said Iruna.

Samaroh went over and sat down at the table. Valkron was right next to him; the other two were on Valkron's other side.

"I was born into one of the aristocratic families in Juno," he said. "I don't remember much of my early years, but of what I do remember it's mostly arguing between my parents.

"During that time there was an economic failure in Juno. A lot of the nobles had their salaries cut, and that meant less money. In Juno, things were more expensive than in Prontera back then, so times became hard on us.

"I wasn't aware of that, of course. I was the youngest of five children in our family - I'm at least two years younger than Kushana. At first I thought this age difference was the reason why none of my brothers and sisters played with me, or came and talked to me. I tried to act a bit older, but not to much effect.

"Then I thought it was because they were all adventurers, already working for the cities and their own respective guilds. I wanted to join them as soon as possible. I remember being really happy when I became a novice and passed through the Training Grounds successfully, on my first try. I was soon on my way to becoming an acolyte.

"As I grew up, however, I began to notice major differences between what I had and what other kids had. I noticed that when it was time to go home from school their parents came to pick them up. I always walked home alone. Sometimes Kushana would come along, but she'd never talk to me. I was as distant to them as the moon is with Midgard.

"When I got home from school, I began to see other things. My parents would often greet my brothers and sisters, and ask them how was school; they never greeted or asked me. Whenever my siblings wanted something, my parents would give them whatever they wanted; I never got what I even needed.

"When it was bedtime, my parents would go into each and every bedroom and tell bedtime stories before kissing them goodnight. They never did with me. I always watched my brothers and sisters giggling and laughing. I don't ever remember being the same way.

"I felt like something was wrong, but we were brought up to never pester for what we wanted, or ask why it took so long. I thought that maybe I wasn't old enough to qualify for it, so I waited.

"As time passed I thought things would get better. Instead I was moved into the cellar of the house. It was always damp and cold in there, and always dark. I used to carry a candle into the place whenever I went to bed. But I never got what my brothers and sisters had.

"Sometimes I'd come to the table for dinner, and I'd find there would be no place for me to sit, nor was there any helping for me. During those times Kushana would bring food for me so that I wouldn't grow hungry at night, but when I asked her to stay and talk to me she told me she couldn't stay long. I couldn't understand why.

"I became an acolyte and hoped that my parents would now take notice of me. I could do what I'd dreamed of doing - helping people. I never asked for anything in return. If anyone gave me anything I accepted it, but other than that I expected nothing. But my parents never said anything.

"I thought that I had done something wrong, and asked God to forgive me for it, and let my parents take notice. But they never did. No one played with me during this time. I felt out of place, because their parents came for them, and mine didn't. I didn't want to be bullied.

"One day, I went into the cellar straight after coming home to find a new box. It had all the old toys my brothers and sisters had. To them it was rubbish, but to me it was like heaven."

Valkron looked up from the table. He had a feeling he knew where the story was leading to, but he said nothing. Samaroh's face, for the first time in his telling, looked wistful and happy to reminisce.

"It was raining that day, and I couldn't go out to play alone, like I usually did. So I spent my whole day playing in the cellar. I guess...that was probably the happiest time of my life." He smiled.

"One night I was woken up by shouting upstairs. I decided to go and see what was wrong. The cellar door was located near our living room, so I opened it a little and peeked out.

"It was my parents. Occasionally they'd argue, but not for long. This time, though, I could hear the anger in their voices.

"I heard my father say, 'What do we do with Samaroh? We can't just simply throw him away. He's our child, and you don't take any notice of him at all.'

"I hear my mother reply, angrily, 'I don't know why you want to talk about him. You promised me you didn't want to have another, and yet you broke your promise. What choice do I have. I don't love him. He's not my child. He's nothing to me. You should have given him away for adoption, just like I said. It's not my fault that he was an accident. I don't want him, I don't like him, and he's just a waste of time and money.'"

Everyone looked up in shock. Iruna covered her mouth. Outside, standing just next to the door, Kushana's eyes widened.

Samaroh's face had not changed. His voice was still the same flat tone. His eyes had glazed over.

"I didn't manage to listen to the rest of the argument. I went back to bed and hoped that the next day everything would be different, that it was all a bad nightmare.

"But the next day was just the same as the rest. I finally got my mother to talk to me, and she told me the same thing, this time telling me what she thought of me.

"After that...my life changed. It was as if I had nothing to live for. Something...broke inside me. I found myself looking for attention, by doing weird things and being a complete idiot. I hated myself for it, and only felt at peace when I was praying.

"After I became a priest, I moved out. I never wanted to see my parents again. My brothers and sisters had been told never to talk to me, or even be with me. Only Kushana broke that rule. I don't know why."

There was a long silence after that. Then Valkron said, "And that's why..."

"...I behave like this." Samaroh's voice was bitter. "I hate myself for it, but I can't seem to change it. I tried, but I just can't."

Valkron reached out and gripped Samaroh's shoulder. "Thank you for telling us that. Now we understand-- Samaroh? Are you all right?"

The priest looked at him. Valkron suddenly realised that Samaroh had been weeping the whole time he had been talking, except that his tears had flowed silently.

"I've never forgotten how it feels like," he said quietly. "To be told by your own mother that you weren't needed, that you weren't loved, that you weren't worth anything. I never told anyone else what she said to me, because every time I thought about it I'd feel something break inside, and I just...just..."

Samaroh's voice broke heavily; he buried his face in his hands and began to sob. As they watched in shock, the door burst open and Kushana ran in. She threw her arms around her younger brother.

"Why didn't you tell me, Samaroh?" she said, her voice trembling. "I knew it wasn't right to leave you alone like that, I wanted to know. I wanted to play with you, to have fun with you, but you never said. You just suffered in silence and went on helping people while you bled inside. Why, Samaroh, _why?_"

Iruna wiped away her tears, as Kushana began to sob as well. Emeth blinked ferociously. Valkron just sat back.

_And to think I was the only one who suffered in silence_, he thought. _Now I know._

_Now I understand._

* * *

Later on they received more information, this time from Kushana. Samaroh had been so bitter with his life that he had vowed to never marry, and declared his lifelong bond to the Church. He had sworn to help people for the rest of his life.

There had been one time when he had returned home, as a priest. His parents had been far from happy to see him; they had told him then that only an exorcist would earn their respect. Samaroh's reply was simply "May God bless you with long life, and that you live to see your children succeed. I probably don't count, but then again saying what the hell probably doesn't, either" and left. However, the blessing he had spoken had been sincere.

Ever since then, he had never returned home. When Kushana found him later on and told him that their parents wanted to see him, he had replied, "God is my father and mother", because he had already accepted that his parents never wanted to see him again. He had chosen to turn to his faith, and so he did.

After Kushana had left with Samaroh to talk, Valkron turned, very quietly, to the other two.

"So, considering everything he's done and is doing, do you actually think he's done anything wrong?"

"He still acknowledges the presence of his parents, and he doesn't curse them for what they did," Iruna replied. "I don't know, but that's a bit...un-Samaroh of him."

"He's got a different side to him," said the wizard. "A side we don't see because we sometimes treat him like his parents did. He probably doesn't trust us."

Valkron sighed. "Well, we know now. Does it change your impression of him?"

Emeth shrugged. "Mine changed ever since I found out he picked the watch both of you gave to me. I knew he wasn't actually pompous; I just wondered how long would he take to show it."

"Well, his story did for me," said Iruna. "And I'm surprised. It's rare to find a priest who truly believes in his faith these days. Everyone else is so shaky."

"He's as much of an anchor as you are," said Valkron.

"Am I that solid?"

"Hell yeah," said Emeth.

Iruna blinked in surprise. "Wow. I never knew that."

"Well, now that we know his story, we'd best go off to bed again and catch up on our sleep." Valkron got to his feet. "It was worth it, though."

_A priest who has never been loved before, and yet still keeping faith in what he believes in_, he thought. _He has never cursed his parents, or blamed anyone else. Instead he's grown up hiding his other side from people - and yet winning everyone over. Considering that Samaroh is now a priest who can support and battle as well as exorcise and mass heal, that's impressive of him._

Valkron looked up at the ceiling, still thinking.

_It's good. Samaroh has his own strength. I wish I had as much strength as he does._

* * *

A lot of people have been getting this wrong, I think (and if you love him you might find that knowing this will prove your complete love of him XD kidding). His name is pronounced Sah-mah-roh. The first two 'h's are silent, while the last one is not. 'roh' is pronounced as it is (it sounds like 'raw-h'), and not 'roe'. The 'ah' is pronounced 'aa'.

Again, the emotions involved in this are real.

I shall close this note with a reminder: the priest skill Resurrection is NOT applicable here, as well as Yggdrasil Leaves or the auto-res card. Once a person is dead, he/she stays dead.


	43. Winter, Magic and the Second's Stand

I ran out of ideas for the title of this chapter. I'm not surprised, because I wrote all the chapters (until chapter 44) before my exams. Haven't been writing for a couple of weeks now.

Chapter 43

**Winter, Magic, and the Second's Stand**

The bad weather continued for a long time. The only people to venture out at this point were Valkron, Samaroh and Iruna; the rest stayed in the castle, trying to keep warm.

Iruna had been assigned to preach to people in the winter. It was not easy for her, but she put up with it. Valkron said nothing about her going out alone into the unexplored areas of the kingdom. Many of his guild members were surprised by this, but he had summarised the reason why as:

"It's her faith, and I have nothing to do with it."

Iruna brought back news of several cities that had never been thought to exist of before.

"Amatsu and Kunlun are beautiful," she said one day, to Valkron and the rest. "The natives tell us to come back in spring, so that we can enjoy the blooming flowers."

"I wish we had the time," said Nocturne, sighing.

Iruna smiled at them. She did not wear her blindfold when she was in the castle, but she did in public.

"They say there's Louyang as well," she remarked. "I've been there only once, but it's breathtaking. The culture is fascinating, and it's such a wonderful city. The cuisine is exquisite, too."

"Incidentally, Iruna," said Valkron, who was drawing out accounts, "do you go there to do your job, or do you enjoy touring the cities?"

Everyone laughed. Iruna gave him an amused look.

"Very funny," she said. "Let's just say there are extra benefits to being a missionary."

"I can see that," said the knight, still not looking up although he was grinning.

"The kingdom's also hiring explorers to go down south, where they say there is a large forest near Comodo. They're speculating that there is a tribe of forest people there. According to some mercenaries who have seen them, these people guard something they call the Tree, and it may be very well that it's part of Yggdrasil."

Everyone looked up from whatever they were doing.

"Serious?" asked Emeth.

"That's odd, I thought we were far from the tree," said Nalini, frowning.

Valkron leaned back in his seat. He was not interested that the tree actually existed - in fact, he was just 'someone who exists for the world' as he put it. What he was worried was that as a government servant he knew a lot more than most people.

He remembered reading once that Rune-Midgard had been theorised as sitting almost at the trunk of Yggdrasil. No one had been able to prove that theory, but explorers and mercenaries had set out to prove it. This was because Yggdrasil was the source of the nine worlds' power and life force. It was a rich source of magic. The civilization that had the tree in its boundaries would be able to utilise the tree's power into their own, and become not just the most powerful, but also the richest and famous of all.

"Emeth," he said, "could you remind me about what the old scholars said about the Yggdrasil Tree being nearby? I remember you told me something about it, but it'll be good to let the others know. Besides, I don't remember much of it."

"Eh? That again?" The wizard coughed, and something like the expression he used when he was teaching came onto his face. "The scholars of the Old Empire suggested that while Yggdrasil is not within the boundaries of the empire, and therefore the kingdom, there might be a part of it within the boundaries."

"Oh, yes," said Valkron, nodding. "I remember now."

"So there's not much point in harvesting anything from it," said Nocturne, looking crestfallen. "If there's only a part."

"Not necessarily," said the knight, before anyone could reply. "Even a part of it would contribute much of the tree's power. The whole tree doesn't have to be in a kingdom to make it powerful."

"So what does it have to offer us?" asked Eni, looking up from her potions. Aramithar, the ever silent alchemist, was reading next to her.

"There are a lot of things the tree can offer us," said the knight calmly. "For example, the tree is an untapped source of magic. Researchers like Emeth can easily utilise the ancient arts with its power. Take for example heaven magic, which is one of the most destructive magical arts ever to be used in the history of Midgard. The Yggdrasil grants the power to use heaven magic."

"But no one can use it, because we're all human," said Nalini, frowning.

"Not necessarily, Nalini," said Valkron, still in his calm tone. "Emithos, one of the Eight, was able to use heaven magic to his disposal. He was one of those who were 'in touch' with Yggdrasil - having a direct link to it - and therefore he found it easy to utilise his power."

"Yeow," said Nocturne.

"What else is there?" asked Eni. Aramithar had looked up in interest by now. Everyone was watching Valkron.

"The Old Empire used something called Magitechnology. It was the combination of magic and machine. The technology is long gone, but even Rune-Midgard is now trying to recreate such power. At the moment the airships to Juno are just simple machinery, but they want to make them better. Not to mention the amount of enchanted weapons the kingdom can make. With just a part of Yggdrasil Rune-Midgard can control the western side of the continent we're on."

"I'm surprised you know so much, Valkron," said Nalini. "Considering that you're just a knight with no magical education."

Valkron smiled wryly. "No, but I like history. I do read, whatever you think. Besides, I...get worried when I hear about this."

Everyone looked surprised. "Why?" they asked.

"Because with the power we obtain through Yggdrasil, other countries will get jealous of us," replied the knight. "Of course, some will be more than happy to trade with us. However, people will kill to have a part of Yggdrasil in their area."

"In short, you're saying that we'll be attacked and invaded," said Emeth.

Valkron looked troubled. "Yes. And I'm naming no names, but we're being targeted already."

"By who?" asked several people.

Valkron pointed up at the ceiling, his eyebrows raised.

After several minutes of looking up at the grey stone, they looked back down at the knight, who had buried his face in his hands. There was no doubt he was exasperated with them.

"I don't get what you're trying to say, Valkron," said Khan.

The knight sighed.

Suddenly Iruna clapped her hands. "The Schwartzwald Republic! When he pointed up at the ceiling, he meant, up north! That's it!"

"I'm not saying anything," said Valkron.

"You don't have to, mate," said Emeth, grinning.

There was a knock at the door. By the sounds of it, the person standing on the other side was trying to knock while not wanting to.

"Come in," said Valkron.

The door opened. A young rogue shuffled in, and then looked over his shoulder nervously. Then he shuffled further in, to allow a young alchemist and an archer to join him. They were clinging onto him and peering out, as if afraid of whatever was in the room.

"Um...hi, sir," said the rogue nervously.

Valkron was suddenly aware that he looked like he was a syndicate boss of some sort, considering the arrangement of people in the room and the way he was sitting. He quickly uncrossed his legs and got to his feet, putting down his quill.

"Good day," he said in reply. "Is there something I can do for you?"

The three of them looked at each other. Apparently they had not expected him to say that.

"Um...well, see," began the rogue, "since it's winter, and there's a storm, and the War of Emperium got called off, and we don't really have anything to do here, um..."

"...could we...go home?" asked the archer timidly. She looked as if the rogue was her older brother.

Valkron rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Hm. You have a point. It's true that no one has anything to do, and yet Repherion is still full of people."

The three waited for him. At length, he said, "Go back outside. I need to discuss something."

As soon as the door shut behind them, he turned to the others. "Help me out on this. I'm thinking of sending everyone home."

"I'm with you on it," said Iruna, giving him a thumbs up.

"So am I," said Emeth.

The others nodded. Valkron sighed in relief. "Thanks. Okay, now I need something to...uhh...magnify my voice."

"Why?" asked several people.

"Because I want to make an announcement, that's why, and I am not going to yell out my throat trying to talk to fifty people."

Emeth held up a strip of paper. "You could always use a talisman."

* * *

"Right, so how do I use it?" asked Valkron.

"You hold it up like--oh, never mind, I'll help you. Quick, get everyone's attention."

The knight turned to face the rest of Repherion's troops. He was still cursing himself for his forgetfulness. Eyorbriggar, Merseitzdeitz and now Yesnelph were empty; the defending troops had been sent home until the New Year. Valkron had, one way or the other, forgotten to dismiss the Repherion divisions.

They were chatting amongst themselves, but as soon as Valkron faced them they turned to face him, falling silent almost immediately. It was unnerving to have so many people watching him.

"Ready, Valkron?" asked Emeth.

"Yeah."

There was a dull _thump_; Emeth had slapped the talisman onto Valkron's back. The knight suspected that the wizard had done it on purpose, but he pushed that aside for now and opened his mouth.

When he started to speak, he knew the talisman was working on him. Emeth nearly fell off the pedestal they were standing on in shock, for one thing.

"I've had a request from a few of you to go home," he said, his voice resonating around the simple marble pillars of the hallway of Repherion. "And I agree. From now on, until the start of the New Year, you may all return home to your families."

There was a cheer. Above the din, Valkron managed to say, "I thank all of you for contributing greatly to our side of the War of Emperium," before Emeth jerked off the talisman.

"Whatever do you need a talisman for, you idiot?" snapped the wizard. "Your voice is loud enough! You nearly deafened me!"

"That's because you're standing on the stage with me, you a-- donkey!" Valkron snapped back.

"Um...excuse me?"

They looked down, momentarily distracted. Niki-Haru and Kyo were standing in front of them.

"Yes?" asked the knight.

"Can we go home too?" asked Kyo.

"Yeah."

"Yay!" The thief leaped for joy; Valkron could not blame him. As a Southerner he was not used to the cold weather of the north.

"What about you, Niki?" he asked the swordswoman.

She shook her head. "Mommy and Daddy are going away for a holiday, and they want me to stay here."

"Why are they leaving you alone?" asked Emeth, raising an eyebrow. "This place isn't fit for youngsters like you."

Valkron gave him a look that said: what the hell is that supposed to mean, eh?

Niki-Haru shrugged. "I don't know."

"You can stay, Niki," said the knight gently. "We'll be around to keep you company."

The little girl looked up at him. "I don't mind the castle," she said. "But I don't really like living here--"

"--because of me, yeah, I know," sighed the knight. Emeth was sniggering into his cloak. "Well, Niki, I don't have an option and neither do you. Thanks for telling me, anyway."

* * *

The castle was even quieter without its troops. As the weather steadily worsened, Valkron, Iruna and Samaroh stopped returning to their workplaces and ended up whiling away time by playing cards or chess, or talking and joking.

However, Valkron got bored soon enough. Sooner or later, he noticed, so did everyone else.

"I wonder what else is there to do today," said Nocturne, whose face was sliding down his arm; he was clearly too bored to support it properly any longer.

No one said anything.

Valkron leaned over Emeth's shoulder. "Heaven magic again, I see."

"What is it with you and heaven magic, for Odin's sake?" said the wizard, snapping shut his book. "Why are _you_ so interested in it?"

"I should be asking you that question."

Emeth mouthed for a few minutes, and then sighed. "Right, you win. But you do know I can't use it."

"You can do stuff similar to it," remarked Aramithar, from the other end of the table.

Emeth looked annoyed as everyone started laughing. "Nice."

"Answer the question, Emeth," said Valkron, grinning.

"I just want to know how it works," said the wizard. "Heaven magic isn't something you can just laugh at, you know. I mean, using the power of the heavens itself to destroy your opponents! Who wouldn't want to have that kind of power?"

At this the whole room went silent.

"Seriously?" asked Eni.

"Yeah."

"How does it work?" asked Iruna.

"Says here," Emeth flipped through his book, waving Valkron off, "that - where is it? ah, here - that heaven spells are cast by 'invoking', or channelling the elements into a spellcaster's personal space and converted into magical force called _mana_. 'This mana becomes the driving force that forms the power behind a heaven spell'."

"Sounds dangerous to me," said Khan.

"It is," said Emeth, closing the book. "Many of the spells are said to be able to obliterate a small civilization off the surface of the world. The only disadvantage of casting a heaven spell is that it takes quite some time to invoke the spell. Other than that...well...let's just say basic spells like the one they describe here, Hammer of Thor, can probably destroy an army of at least three thousand."

At length, Nocturne broke the silence. "That's only theoretical, isn't it?"

"Do remember Emithos," said Valkron.

"Who was he, anyway?"

"One of the Eight," said Emeth. "He was the only sorcerer amongst them, and I believe the most famous person to use heaven magic. While fighting with an army of frost giants, he was the one who turned the tables by casting the Fire of Njord. That's another basic spell."

"What was he known as, again?" asked Valkron, who was staring at the ceiling.

"The Spirit of the Four Elements."

"The Eight is just a myth," said Nalini. "As much as the existence of the Ninth. I know we learn about them in History of Magic, but there's no point arguing their existence. They're just legends."

"All right, let's not start a debate on the existence of the Eight," said Valkron hurriedly, as Emeth and Nalini stared at each other. "We can do that another time. Emeth, why do you keep saying that's just a basic spell? They all sound advanced to me."

"Basic in that they are fairly simple to learn," said the wizard, turning away from the sage. "Jupiter Thunder is a diminished form of Hammer of Thor, while Fire of Njord is the original spell for Meteor Storm."

"So you're saying all those massive spells you cast now are just tiny derivatives of the original heaven spells?"

"I never said our spells were that great," said Emeth.

Valkron whistled.

"There are plenty more. Hel's Grave is a basic spell, from which Heaven's Drive is derived. I could go on and on about the list, really."

"Could you give us an example of an advanced heaven spell?" asked Iruna, leaning against the table.

"Sure. Decima is one. Emithos used it - I am _not_ going to argue, Nalini - against a ten-thousand strong army of demons and giants. The name is derived from decimate, and, well, it does exactly what it means. Historians say it took him several days to prepare for the spell, and one hour to invoke it."

"How long did it take to get rid of the demons?" asked Nocturne curiously.

"Uhh...about ten seconds, if I'm not wrong." Emeth shrugged. "The prefix idec/i means ten. Decima always takes ten seconds to unleash its full power on its targets, as has been noted."

There was silence.

"Ten...seconds?" said Eni.

"Yep."

"Wow," said Iruna.

"That's why I'm worried for Rune-Midgard," said Valkron, who had crossed his arms and was leaning against the wall. "With power like that, sooner or later someone's going to misuse it, and all hell will break on us."

"I doubt it'll ever be used while we're alive, though," said Emeth. "After Emithos there has been no one who shared the same link he had with Yggdrasil. The sorcerer himself swore that he would never use his magic to destroy, only protect. As one of the Eight he was merciful to those who were innocent."

"There is a story that Emithos defended an army of dark elves against humans who wanted to rob them of their magic," said Valkron. "Not only because they were innocent, but because he didn't want humans to use dark magic."

"Yeah, I heard that story," said Emeth. "It was what made him famous."

"You know, I'm not going to listen to this heathen rubbish," said Nalini disgustedly. "I'm getting out of here."

"You are not," said Valkron. "As one of us, you have to share your opinions and discuss. Simply telling us that you don't put up with it is not sufficient to allow us to let you out."

"Make me, Valkron." Nalini turned to leave. Kala looked torn in between staying and going with her sister.

"Now that's exactly why I never sympathised with you ever since we met when we became mercenaries."

There was silence again, only broken by the sound of Nalini's flat grey shoe turning on its heel on the stone floor. She stared at Emeth, who was leaning back in his chair and giving her the stoniest glare Valkron had ever seen him give.

"What do you mean, Emeth?" she said.

"When you reprimanded me for going off with other girls, I knew I was wrong," he said. "I apologized. Ever since then, I've never done it again. I thought that you liked me for who I was, and not because of my looks. I was wrong.

"When we became mercenaries, we met, remember?"

"Like I'd forget," said Nalini, her eyes narrowing. Kala, who had risen from her seat, quickly sat back down again.

"We talked about magic - a bit pointedly, I might admit - before you asked me if I was going out with anyone. I told you no. And then what you did was to start ranting on me about 'listening to your disgusting desires', and then leaving when you said you'd had enough."

Emeth got to his feet. "The problem, Nalini, is with you."

"What do you me--"

"What do I mean? I'm sure you don't have to ask this question, Nalini. You're clever enough to know. What, you don't? Fine then, I'll just tell it straight to your face and in front of the people here like you did with me that time." He took a deep breath. "You argue with people all the time, you don't listen to what they say, and you don't care about other people's opinions. There, happy?"

"I never said I--"

"I thought you'd come back a better person as a sage." Emeth's voice was bitter. "Looks like you didn't, after all."

"What about you, Emeth?" said Nalini defiantly. "I bet you still have your dreams about them! You cheated on me, and that was what made me walk off on you!"

"I admit I cheated on you, but it doesn't mean I just say that it's all over, that I've had my time!" snapped the wizard. "Besides, I was asking you to forgive me! And what did you do? You rejected me and turned the entire Academy into a right hell for me! Why don't you think of the consequences before you react to that impulsive behaviour of yours?"

Nalini gaped for a few seconds before rallying magnificently. "And why don't you think about them, too?"

"Because I bloody hell didn't know what I was doing!" Emeth was shouting now. "Fine! You want me to defend my side in front of people who never knew me?"

He made a complicated gesture with his hand. Suddenly the room around them _changed_. It became a black and white world of the courtyard outside the Magic Academy.

Valkron watched in astonishment as everyone around him disappeared. The only people there were those from the past.

There were three people standing in the middle of the courtyard. Valkron recognised the young, lanky boy as a younger version of Emeth. Even at this age he was already beginning to look like what he was now - his messy hair with the left side of his fringe growing out, and his deep-set eyes. He looked depressed and upset.

The other one was a younger Nalini, and probably a friend of hers. She looked defiant and confident here, but was that just a touch of anxiety as well?

"I'm sorry," the young Emeth was saying. "I really am. No one told me anything about it, and I didn't have a choice."

"Is that all you have to say?" snapped the younger Nalini. "Whatever it is, Emeth, you're just a two-faced liar! Go and find someone else to sleep with!"

The people around them gasped. Emeth looked around him frantically. "Why are you yelling that out?"

"Because you deserve the shame!" said Nalini. A look that Valkron had never seen before, a look of cruel triumph, was on her face. "What about your parents? Aren't they around to help you?"

"My parents are dead!"

"They should be ashamed of you!"

"Why are you talking about my parents?" said Emeth, tears flowing down his face. "They're not alive! Stop talking about them!"

Valkron had never seen Emeth so frustrated before, either. The boy looked desperate to the point of insanity.

"I don't have to listen to you!" Nalini laughed at him, a shrill, gloating laugh that made the young magician sob even more in humiliation. "Anyway, I just liked you for your looks! Too bad you can't live up to your face!"

"He's just a pretty boy!" shrieked her friend, in the same gloating tone.

They ran off, leaving Emeth to sink to the ground, crying. Then the scene changed, and there was Emeth again, looking about twenty-five and a lot more solemn, facing an older Nalini. They were sitting at a table in a cafe.

"I'm surprised to see you as a mercenary," he said quietly. "I thought you said they were too rough for you."

"Well, it seems that the job's just right," she said haughtily. "And you?"

"Mostly for research." Emeth was disturbingly unsettling with his quiet voice. "It gives me an opportunity to study all forms of magic."

"Ooh, that's a change." She leaned forward. "What kind?"

"Currently dark magic."

She looked disgusted. "Don't tell me you want to resort to that."

"Of course not, I have my own dignity," answered Emeth. "Its interesting that dark magic is actually not a form of magic in its own right. It is simply magic used with the intention to kill the innocent. I've realised that it's possible dark magic can be turned against itself so that the user uses it to kill those who have done wrong."

"That's stupid," she said. "There's no such thing."

"But it's an interesting fact,' said the wizard.

"I don't know why you're researching things like this, Emeth," she said, in the same tone of disgust she had used when she had been laughing at him. "You're sick, Emeth. As sick as you were back then."

The wizard bowed his head and said nothing. Nalini scoffed.

"You see? You're not denying it." She got to her feet and picked up her staff. "I'm not talking to you again."

"I don't think you'd want to, since you always reject my point of view on anything," said Emeth quietly.

"Because you don't deserve being listened to. I'm a sage, I know more than you."

As Valkron stared, rage pounding in his ears, the black and white world faded away. The room in Repherion came back again. By the looks on everyone's faces, they had all witnessed the same thing.

There was silence. Then Kushana got to her feet and walked to Emeth. She stood next to him.

"I'm standing by his side," she told Nalini, who looked angry to the point of exploding. "You never listened to him, and you made yourself look better than him when you were on the same level. Or even lower, in fact."

Everyone nodded. Then, surprisingly, Amaru spoke.

"You were wrong to speak to him that way," he said, his impressively deep voice catching her attention. "If I had to say who was wrong in approach to each other, I'd say you. This is not because he is my friend or because I sympathise with him - it is because you have had absolutely no emotions to spare for him, and you thought you didn't need to. If you are disgusted at him behaving like a human, then I am disgusted at you for not behaving like one."

Nalini stayed silent. Then she whirled around and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Kala did not follow.

Valkron felt as if all his anger had gone into Amaru's words. The blacksmith had calmly said what the knight had wanted to rave about, without even getting angry.

_I should be able to control my anger more_, he thought.

But now he felt satisfied. Not only had Emeth brought the truth out and evened out the longstanding argument, he had also moved on from it.

_And since when did Emeth utilise illusions?_ asked a little voice in his head, but it totally went ignored.

* * *

Chapter inspired by Brightdown (Nami Tamaki), Doubt & Trust (Access), and my own absent-mindedness, which caused me to write something I did not intend to write. You just read it, if you want to know.

Incidentally, the two songs can be heard on Youtube as the respective second and third openings for the anime D.Gray-man.

I should also get a haircut...I look like Emeth these days.

note: I've found an excellent up to date world map of Rune-Midgard that shows not just the areas and the map names, but the boundaries, ship routes, airship routes and the episodes each city was introduced in. Thanks to that, I now know that THIS SERIES IS BECOMING SOMETHING I NEVER PLANNED (hint: heaven magic and the Yggdrasil tree)

Oh, well, all the better for my readers. Yes? :D


	44. Winter Wonderland

I did this chapter as the last before my exams (see note at the bottom of this page for more details). Don't expect anymore until June 6th is over.

That said, I'll be working on the Warriors of the World **3** poster. :D

Chapter 44

**Winter Wonderland**

"This is boring," said Emeth.

No one said anything. No one could say anything. This was because everyone was thinking the same thing.

It had taken a week for the weather to clear up, and by that time half the twelfth month was over. Hlin had been warping between Repherion and Geffen to supply the castle with food.

"I envy Shen down in Payon," said Valkron, dangling his quill absently. "Although there's no guild war to get involved in, at least he gets to walk around freely outside the castle without wearing four layers of clothes."

"And not looking remotely like our jobs," said Samaroh.

"Exactly."

"Why don't we go out to Geffen?" asked Eni, pushing aside the curtains of the nearest window. "The snow outside is crisp and bright, and although the sun is weak I bet there's some warmth. It's better than being cooped up in here all day long."

"Please close the window, Eni," said Emeth, looking up irritably from his books. "I don't like the existence of windows using the time-space loop to exist."

"You're saying that because you know it. We don't."

Valkron grinned. Emeth had a grudge against spells that broke time-space rules. In effect, the meeting room windows existed only to be used from the inside of the room, and could not be seen from the outside. However, they _did_ exist, as was proven recently by Aramithar, who obligingly stuck an arm out of it. The watchers outside had reported an arm sticking out of the grey stone wall.

"Okay, okay, calm down, everyone," said Iruna, pausing in her walk to the sink to wash her mug. "It's a nice day. Don't let's all argue. If you want to go out, no one's stopping you; if you want to stay in, go ahead. We can't exactly change anyone's thinking, Eni."

"Yeah, but Emeth's just been sitting at the table for the past few weeks," protested Eni.

"I'm not doing nothing, you know," he said, without looking up from his books. "I still have to do research whatever I do."

Eni gave him a look. Aramithar patted her on the shoulder.

"We all know that they do a lot of work, Eni," he said, in his quiet voice. "Let him be. If you stress him out anymore we're going to have a white-haired wizard."

"Are you trying to imply something between Valkron and me?" asked Emeth irritably.

"No," said the alchemist, blinking. "Why would I?"

"Emeth, just shut up," said Samaroh. "You sound like you're having a low blood sugar level today. Go and eat something."

There was a scrape of wood against stone. Everyone looked up as Valkron got to his feet. He looked around them.

"I know we're all tetchy at being shut in like this," he said, "but Eni's right. It's time we walked out of here and had a break."

"But what is there to do?" asked Kala. "Apart from walking in Geffen."

Nalini nodded. Ever since she had argued with Emeth she had not been talking and was keeping away from everyone. However, Valkron had taken her aside one evening and had quietly told her that none of them held any grudge against her for what she had done. No one knew why the sage was still keeping quiet.

Valkron smiled a little. "I've been thinking about it for some time, and I've decided that today is officially a holiday for us. That includes you, Emeth."

"Huh? But I'm almost done for today!" the wizard said desperately. "Seriously! We never have a holiday!"

"No, you are getting out today." Valkron stepped forward, grabbed the wizard by the back of his collar and yanked him out of the chair. "Don't complain. Go on, all of you. Why are you staring at me like that? Go and get changed, and wear your warmest clothes. We'll probably be out for the whole day, and most likely through the night, too."

"Where are we going?" asked Eni, while Iruna said, "What do you have up your sleeve this time?"

"You'll see. Go on." Valkron shooed them off.

When they had all come down he was nowhere in sight. Everyone looked around for him, and then realised that each of them looked vastly different.

"That's such a nice coat!" Eni exclaimed in envy, pointing at Kala. The dancer blushed.

"One of my ex-boyfriends bought it for me," she said.

"You don't look half bad, Iruna," said Samaroh, who was wearing something that looked close to a trench coat.

The crusader smiled, clearly flattered. Although she looked simple, she also looked very sweet with her black earmuffs, coat and trousers. She looked less of a serene warrior and more of a happy, pleasant woman who was satisfied with whatever she had in life.

"Well, we all look so different," she said. "I thought it wouldn't make a difference!"

"Yeah, right," said Valkron's voice from behind her.

They turned to see him leaning casually against the doorframe, arms folded across his chest.

"Do I recall you ever saying you wanted to see me in something else other than my armour, Iruna?" he said, smiling. "Well, your wish has been granted."

Like Iruna, he was wearing a long beige coat, and black trousers. Everyone was used to his subdued appearance when he took off his helm, but this time he looked more of a aged gentleman than a warrior. This particular image was emphasized by the fact that he was also wearing a pair of grey earmuffs.

Iruna crossed the room in ten seconds and threw her arms around his neck. "You look so different!"

"What, is it not in a good way?" he asked.

"It's a complete change from what you look like," said Samaroh, staring.

"Okay, get off me, Iruna. We need to get going." Valkron straightened up. "Hlin, why not take the day off as well? You can join us, if you like, but I have a feeling you've got different plans...?"

"What?" said the Kafra. "I can take the day off?"

"Why not?"

The violet-haired Kafra employee smiled brightly. "Thank you, sir! I was actually planning to go out into Geffen to meet up with my friends."

"That's not a problem, then." Valkron beckoned to her. "Come over here, I need to talk to you."

He whispered to her for a few minutes, glancing every now and then at the rest of the group. As the clock ticked away everyone grew increasingly suspicous, but they did not ask.

He turned to them. "All right. Everyone, close your eyes! Make sure you can see nothing before I tell you to open them! If you don't, the surprise will be spoiled."

They did so. Valkron nodded to Hlin, who cast her portal under them.

No one saw a thing. They only heard the rush of air as magic whirled around them, before muted cold hit them. The smell of snow was fresh and crisp, but there was something different with their surroundings. They could hear laughter, shouting and happy chatter.

"Open your eyes!"

They did so - and gasped.

Around them was a beautiful city, with quaint houses all around them. Snow lay heavily on the roofs and the ground, but this didn't seem to deter the crowds of people running and walking about.

And there was a reason why. The city was decorated with brightly coloured lights like stars, draped all over the houses. Yellow fishnet lights like golden clouds hung over their heads, lighting up the twilight sky.

In the middle of the city was a town hall, marigold yellow and decorated with cheerfully winking lights. Right in front of it was a large pine tree, covered in snow and decorated from head to foot in lights, candy canes, ceramic angels and doves, shimmering baubles and glittering tinsel. At the very top of the tree, perched cheerfully and winking happily at them, was a large golden star.

"My gift to you guys," he said, as they gazed around. "Welcome to Lutie."

"Oh my...I forgot that today is Christmas Eve!" Iruna said, her voice hoarse with excitement. "You were planning this all along?"

"Well, yes, considering how hard all of you have worked-- oof!"

Snow flew into the air. The others chuckled, before Valkron managed to get back on his feet. This was no mean feat, considering that Iruna was still hanging off his neck.

"Iruna - stop - please," he gasped.

She got off him, much to his relief, and looked up at him. Valkron looked down at her and felt himself melt. Her eyes were shining up at him, and they were probably the brightest things he had ever seen in his life up till then.

"Let's go," he said, feeling his face burn. He took her by the waist and smiled to the rest, despite his embarrassment. "Let's go on and have fun!"

Everyone - sixteen in total, including Niki-Haru - cheered and ran straight into the city.

The place was so brightly lit and so colourful that no one cared about how they looked, or how old they were. Everyone there were like children. Valkron wasn't too sure about the others, but he was sure he felt that way. The happiness he had felt as a child on good days was coming back to him, and it gave him more life than he could have ever had.

It was probably happening to Iruna, as well. For one thing, if they were in, say, Prontera, he wouldn't be running and grasping her wrist, pulling her along with him, and she wouldn't have allowed herself to do it. It was as if the child in their hearts had awakened from a deep slumber.

They went around the city, pointing and talking excitedly to each other. There were stalls lined up along the streets, with cheerful stallholders greeting their potential customers. Children ran around playing in the snow, while adults stood to the side and watched them, laughing.

No one recognised the main body of the Raulus guild. Even if they did, they would not have believed that was the guild that had fought so hard and gained so much fame in such a short time. A bunch of laughing adults, of which three pairs had their arms linked, and one young girl, running around like children? Probably not.

They spread out a little later on; this was probably out of respect for the three couples in the group. Eni skipped alongside Aramithar, pointing excitedly and giggling. Emeth and Kushana became the main focus of the group, joking and chasing each other. Valkron and Iruna strolled at the side, laughing at the antics of the others.

Samaroh and Nocturne, always arguing, were now best of friends, conversing together. Khan and Amaru walked together, always silent, but with a friendship stronger than bonds of steel. Zak teased a surprisingly cheerful Silas, while Kumahar smiled vaguely; Nalini and Kala visited every single stall that sparkled. Even Niki-Haru joined in the games the other children played on the streets, and was reluctant to leave them.

But when they reached the middle of the city, where the great Christmas tree stood, everyone's gaze turned to it - and the people beneath it.

There was the usual Santa Claus dressed up and giving presents to the children playing around him, with a pretty assistant as his elf. But not far away from him was a large, jolly snowman, guffawing hugely and spraying nearby passers-by with snow. Kumahar greeted, with much enthusiasm, a fellow bard with a large zither slung over his shoulder.

Dogs played in the snow, barking excitedly. Samaroh had one run into his legs; everyone laughed as Nocturne offered a hand to him, chuckling. The priest got to his feet and dusted his coat, grinning.

As the others laughed and chatted Valkron and Iruna stared up at the great tree. It was so bright that if the lights of the town had been switched off the tree would have continued to illuminate the whole town.

"It's been so long since I've felt this way," said the crusader, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"I know," he replied. "It feels like we're all young again."

"I can't believe you planned it all." Iruna looked up at him. "Why?"

The knight shrugged. "I figured you guys needed a break, and anyway...I'm sure you all wouldn't want to keep seeing me as this--"

"--sarcastic, grumpy old geezer," Iruna finished for him. "But we know that you aren't, Valkron. You've been showing us your other side so much that we've come to love you for who you are."

"I have been?" asked Valkron, feeling his face burn again. "Really?"

"Of course you have!" Iruna smiled at him. "Or maybe you've changed so much that you can't tell."

Valkron felt uncertain at this, but he was also happy. It was true that he couldn't stay the way he was, but it had been hard for him.

He looked down at Iruna again, and yet again was drawn to her face, her lips, her eyes. The woman he loved...he never knew he was going to meet her, ever--

And then something hard, cold and wet hit him on the side of the head.

When he recovered Iruna was staring in shock at him. He looked up to see Samaroh waving his hands frantically in apology.

"I'm sorry, Valkron!" he said hastily. "I didn't mean to throw the snowball at you! I was aiming at Nocturne!"

The knight looked at Nocturne, who was sniggering quietly at the side. He looked back at Samaroh.

"Really?"

"Yeah!" The priest looked as if he was about to beg for his life.

Valkron sighed. "I'll let that pass," he said, and turned away...

...and scooped up snow.

"Not until I get a potshot at you!"

Samaroh received a snowball straight in the face. Nocturne laughed at the sight of him.

"Hey, Nocturne!"

The hunter turned. One snowball from Emeth was all it took.

"Woohoo! Bullseye!" shouted the wizard in delight, while Kushana tried not to suffocate from laughter.

"Hey, that wasn't fair!"

"I'll help, Noc!" shouted Eni, running forward. Emeth dodged the snowballs lightly, laughing until one in the midriff took him down.

Samaroh, who had finally cleared his sight of snow, threw a snowball back at Valkron. The knight ducked, laughing, and threw one back at him. As it whizzed past Samaroh's head, the priest threw back another. This time it hit Iruna.

"Ooh, Samaroh! You're going to pay for that!" The crusader joined in the snowball fight, and although she hit the back of Aramithar's head the first time she got her revenge back at the priest. However, by this time snowballs were flying furiously, as they screamed, shouted and laughed at each other.

People stopped to watch, laughing with them as they ducked and threw. Even Niki-Haru was having fun targeting Valkron, but after she missed and hit Amaru instead, the entire group nearly collapsed of laughter as the blacksmith went after her.

Aramithar and Eni worked together, flinging snowballs with their potion throwing-skilled hands. Silas and Zak targeted each other while Kumahar watched safely out of the range of snowballs.

And all the while, their laughter filled the air, while children and adults alike fell about laughing at them.

Finally, Valkron got to his feet, ducked a stray snowball from Nocturne and shouted, half-laughing, "Okay! Okay, don't throw at me anymore! I'm soaked!"

Emeth playfully threw a snowball at him. The knight skidded out of the way and laughed with the wizard. Then, still laughing, he made his way out of the range of the snowballs. Iruna went after him.

When they were finally away from them, Valkron turned around and looked at Iruna briefly before doubling up with laughter.

"Iruna!" he said, in between laughs. "You look - hilarious!"

"Oh, no, snow in my hair?" She glared at him. "Stop laughing and help me get my hair back!"

It took much longer than it should have been because Valkron kept breaking out into laughter, but they finally got it done. Iruna looked herself again.

"I'm soaked," she said, looking all over herself. "But that was a great lot of fun. I can see _someone_ enjoyed himself," and she looked so pointedly at Valkron that the knight nearly died of laughter.

At length he recovered. The rest were still having a snowball fight, so they watched from a safe distance.

"Hey, why don't we go and look for somewhere quieter?" asked Valkron, some time later.

"Sure."

They walked away from the group, towards the tree, their arms around each other's waists, leaving two pairs of crisp, deep footprints in the snow. As they walked further, Valkron's teasing voice and Iruna's laughter faded away.

* * *

Later on, exhausted and still faintly laughing, the rest of the group came upon Valkron and Iruna. The two of them were sitting on a bench, their eyes half-closed as they gazed at the tree. Iruna was leaning against Valkron, who had his arm around her.

Not wanting to disturb them, the rest dispersed. Kushana and Emeth found another bench, and so did Eni and Aramithar. The chatter grew to silence as the tired members of the Raulus settled down.

The clock above the door of the town hall struck midnight. The slow chiming of the bell punctuated the winter night, louder than the children's laughter.

Valkron looked at Iruna. She was breathing rhythmically and deeply, her blue eyelashes resting lightly on her cheeks. He pulled off one glove and caressed her cheek lovingly.

He had never imagined that he would fall in love one day. He had always imagined himself living a loner's life, just as he had been as a child. The warmth of others had become alien to him, and he had withdrawn from them, afraid of what they could do to him. But this woman had brought him back out, and gave him the warmth he so longed for, without the pain.

He could never bear to leave her.

Valkron looked at Emeth and Kushana in the distance. They were sitting on another bench that formed the ring around the tree. Kushana was pointing at the tree and talking, while Emeth looked at what she was talking about.

The knight smiled. Even Emeth was becoming different, it seemed. Love had changed them so much. He had never imagined.

Valkron looked back up at the tree. It twinkled down at him, like the stars in the night sky. He had never felt so satisfied before. Who could ask for more? The woman he loved, a supporting, strong guild, friends who understood him...

All these, and more, were what he would have instead of power, and fame.

Valkron snuggled down with Iruna. Her warmth was comforting. She made a soft sound and opened her eyes a little. She looked up at him, like a child would to its father; he felt an overpowering urge to protect her from anything that came their way.

"Merry Christmas, Iruna," he said to her sleepily.

She smiled the beautiful smile he loved. "Merry Christmas, Valkron."

And together, under the starry night sky, in the City of Christmas, love lived, breathed and slept in peace. War, sorrow, pain, loneliness...none of it existed for now, for one night, in the winter wonderland.

* * *

In Rothenburg, David and Reita celebrated four years of their relationship, while Lucius, Kuroihi and Sedir laughed and joked with them, before shouting "Merry Christmas!" to the rest of Rothenburg, and toasting to the Black Cross' success. They went to bed shortly after, but a bond of friendship had grown even stronger.

In Gondul, Vineis kissed Alya before they went to bed, and gave her a silver necklace while she gave him a book and a golden chain to replace the one for his monocle. None of them knew what they were receiving, of course, but in the morning they would know, and a bond of love would grow even closer.

And in the sky, a sleigh led by reindeer flew in front of a supernova that was the centre of a fading, cracked seal. In the silence of the night, jingling bells echoed, sweet notes showering lightly onto the white world below.

* * *

I NEED TO STOP WRITING!! It's like a drug! I'm addicted! DX NOOOOOOO!!


	45. Reflection

Chapter 45

**Reflection**

The fire crackled in the hearth as the main body of the Raulus guild continued to while away time. They had returned the day after Christmas, exhausted but happy, and had proceeded to go to bed straight after.

After Christmas, the atmosphere in the guild returned to normal. Apart from the results of Nocturne playing an occasional prank on Samaroh, everyone was back to what Emeth had called "leisure mode".

Valkron stood by the supposedly non-existent window and gazed at the white landscape. He had his back to the room. Aramithar was conducting an experiment in a corner of the room, so most of the others had crowded the opposite corner. Valkron glanced behind him.

Nocturne was, once again, playing chess with Samaroh. Emeth, one of the few who were not sitting on the floor, was reading with his shoes up on the table. Eni was busy recording what Aramithar was doing - either it was for her own experiments, or she was being his assistant.

Khan and Amaru were playing cards, while Kushana whittled at pieces of wood as she made arrows. Nalini and Kala were not in the room, as such - the sage had fled when Aramithar had announced his wish to conduct an experiment. As expected, her sister had followed as well.

As for Zak, Silas and Kumahar, Valkron knew for a fact that they were outside in the main hall. It was quite probable that the meeting room was far too small to argue in. Kumahar tagged along with them like a quiet, vague dog; he was probably composing another song and being completely oblivious to his two companions.

Valkron turned back to the window. The whiteness outside reminded him vividly of the time during the Dark Portal. Although he loathed thinking about it, somehow he just couldn't tear his eyes away from the desolate landscape outside.

_When you become like me..._

Valkron's eyes narrowed. Argath's words were still in his head. Somehow he had a bad feeling about the undead knight's words, even four months after he had said them. The knight knew he'd never seek for power, or be as cruel as Argath.

Hm.

Would he?

Valkron realised he had been absently scratching the window pane while he had been thinking. He took his finger away from it and examined the rough, frequently chipped nail.

The door opened, and Iruna came in. "Valkron? Kyo's here."

"Kyo?" asked the knight, turning to look. No one else was watching, but he knew they were listening. "He's come back?"

"Seems so."

"Why?"

Iruna shrugged. "He wants to tell you, I believe."

Valkron got off the wall. "All right, I'm coming."

Kyo was standing in the hall watching Silas and Zak exchange their knowledge of fighting techniques. He looked up when Valkron and Iruna emerged from the room.

"Oh, hi," he said. Kyo had never managed to find out what to address Valkron, as the knight had told him not to call him 'sir'.

"Good afternoon, Kyo," said Valkron. "What's wrong?"

"Um...I just wanted to come back here," said the thief, interlocking his hands together and wriggling his thumbs. "'Cause...um…this place is nice."

"It's cold here, Kyo," said Valkron gently, going down on one knee in front of him. He found it hard to talk to someone who was two feet shorter than him - considering that Valkron was already considered short by standards, this was clearly significant.

"Um...yeah, I know, but I like it here." The thief gave him a wide, embarrassed grin.

Valkron shook his head, smiling. "Well, at least you can keep Niki-Haru happy." He looked up at Iruna. "Where _is_ she? I haven't seen her since we came back from Lutie."

"She's in her room," replied the crusader. "Niki was reluctant to come back, so now she's sulking in there. I had a look in her room this morning. She doesn't open the door except for me."

"I'm not surprised," said Emeth, who had just come out of the meeting room. "She's not very fond of this place, is she?"

"Her parents left on a vacation," Valkron said irritably. "She doesn't really have a choice."

"Yeah, but you could have been a lot nicer to her." Emeth grinned at him. "How can you have a relationship with Iruna without being good to kids as well?"

Iruna laughed at Valkron's face. "I don't think he's thinking that far ahead, Emeth. Stop bugging him."

"Oh, we all know he's just a big softy."

"Have you both had enough of having a go at me?" asked Valkron in annoyance. "Why are _you_ out here, anyway?"

"Zak and Silas were making such a commotion that I decided to come out here and see what the heck was going on." Emeth jerked his thumb over his shoulder at the two, who were now demonstrating to each other, accompanied by excited shouting (from Zak) and much laughing (from Silas).

"And then? You decided to come and--"

"All right, all right, old man," said Iruna, grabbing by the back of the collar of his tunic and pulling him away from Emeth. "Why can't we make fun out of you from time to time? You're a good source of fun."

"Depends from whose point of view it is you're talking about," answered Valkron, still getting pulled away. He wasn't struggling. "Kyo, if you're done you can go to the meeting room. Don't watch what's going on here."

Iruna stopped pulling him. "You seem a bit dispirited today," she said, looking closely at Valkron; the knight leaned away from her. "What's wrong with you?"

"I'm just restless," replied Valkron. "If anyone needs me tell them I'll be practising outside the castle."

"You're not going to the Chivalry to practise?" asked Emeth, watching him as he walked away.

"The Chivalry's sent all its knights off," came the answering reply, which began to get fainter as he got further away. "Otherwise I wouldn't be here for most of the day."

Iruna shook her head at his disappearing back. "He can be so withdrawn sometimes."

"Well, I guess that's him," remarked Emeth. "I'll be going back in now-- hey, look who's here."

Iruna turned to see Niki-Haru standing a little way away from them, in a pale pink dress. She was giving Valkron's back a stare that reminded Iruna of Valkron's face when he was glad to see someone he disliked go somewhere else.

"Hello, Niki," said the crusader. "That's a beautiful dress. Who made it for you?"

"Mummy," answered the girl, looking at her. Unlike Iruna, she had blue eyes. That was probably the only difference between them. Apart from the white wings Niki-Haru always wore, anyone could have mistaken the swordswoman as Iruna's daughter.

"She's good at sewing, then." Iruna smiled. "I wish I was that good."

"Hoho, yeah, preparing for the future," added Emeth, who was passing her by on the way back to the meeting room. Iruna playfully made a kick at him; he jumped out of the way and hurried off, grinning broadly.

"Do you need anything, Niki?" the crusader asked the girl.

Niki-Haru shook her head.

"The meeting room's over there, and Kyo's here." Iruna looked at the girl fondly. "I know you like to play with him."

"Can I ask you something about Valkron?"

Iruna, who had been about to start off for the room, stopped and turned to look at her. "Well, let's talk about it in there, then."

* * *

Iruna sat with Niki-Haru on the supposedly non-existent windowsill in the room. Kyo had found his mentor, and was now playing card games with Khan and Amaru. Iruna had asked them what game it was, and they had replied, "A gambling game with nothing to gamble." However, it still looked pretty suspicious.

"So what is it about him that's bothering you, Niki?" she asked the swordswoman."

Niki-Haru gazed out of the window at the snow-covered landscape. Then she said, "I find him irritating."

"In what way?" Iruna was interested in this little girl who talked like a grown-up.

"Although he doesn't like fame, he seems to enjoy it when he comes his way." Niki-Haru was still gazing out the window, her blue eyes unblinking. "He doesn't seem like he deserves it. And the way he talks...it's like he knows everything. He doesn't give people the right to do anything they want. All he does is reprimand."

Iruna smiled. "Not everyone understands him, I guess. It depends on your perception of him."

"But he's not fair!" Now Niki-Haru looked up at her. Her large eyes were like sapphires set in her face.

"The world isn't fair either, Niki." Iruna looked out of the window. "Valkron doesn't know everything, but what he knows about a certain subject he'll tell to anyone he thinks deserves to know. Of course he doesn't give people the right to do anything they want as well. If everyone did what they wanted this world would be in a lot of trouble."

"But the way he restricts people--"

"Niki," said the crusader gently, "he only does that if it's something that shouldn't be done."

The girl looked at her questioningly. Iruna reached out and stroked her hair.

"Valkron does seem like a big pompous act to everyone who doesn't know him well," she said, "but that's just what it is - an act. Underneath it he's just the same as any other man. Don't you notice that although he scolds Emeth all the time he doesn't tell the wizard to 'shut up', or anything of that sort? Even if he does, he doesn't deny whatever the wizard says unless it's untrue - which Emeth doesn't do. Also, he's a senior tutor and a knight commander. He's used to giving orders and setting people on the right path."

"Is there anyone here who has been set on the right path?" asked the girl.

Iruna smiled. "All of us."

Niki-Haru's face was something anyone would have paid to see. The crusader had to stop herself from laughing.

"Come," she said, getting to her feet. "Maybe you should do what I did."

Niki-Haru looked bewildered, but she followed Iruna out of the room and upstairs to the first floor. The crusader led her to a window on the first floor.

"Look down," she said, "and tell me what you see."

The little girl had to stand on tiptoe to see, so Iruna got her a box to stand on, much to her chagrin. Once that was done Niki-Haru stood on it and leaned out of the window. Iruna stood next to her.

Outside, near the front gates, Valkron was practising. He was using his sword only. However, he wasn't doing what normal knights did, which was usually charge and swing and hope for the best, in some cases. He had his eyes closed, and looked as if he was doing some sort of strange, slow dance. Despite his age, he was moving gracefully.

"Valkron believes that a sword-user must be completely in harmony with a weapon in order to use it," explained the crusader, as Niki-Haru watched. "He also believes that in order for a guild to work well, every member must be in harmony with each other. I used to watch him after we managed to get Repherion, and I realised he believes in balance. Balance, for him, is the key to everything."

"But he doesn't have to force his ideas on others," said Niki.

"Then why do you think he can be so subtle at times?" asked Iruna, smiling. "He places messages in everything he does and says. Like he said during the Dark Portal...there are things that give us messages about how to live in this world and involve ourselves in an equal relationship of give and take. It's just up to us to interpret them our way."

She placed a hand on the little girl's shoulder. "Valkron's giving us a message in what he does. He's a little strict, I grant you that...but because of how he is, we've changed into what we are now. If he wasn't, we'd still be squabbling, greedy mercenaries, and there will be no Raulus guild."

Niki-Haru kept quiet at this, but she continued to watch Valkron. Iruna stepped back, and when the swordswoman did not turn around, she left the girl and returned to the meeting room just in time to see Nocturne checkmate Samaroh, and Kyo win at cards again.

She would have been surprised to know that Niki-Haru watched Valkron for the whole day, until Emeth challenged him.

* * *

Valkron did not see things when he practised. Or rather, when he was practising he imagined a target, and concentrated only on that target. That was his sight; his other senses would tell him if a second or third target was approaching.

When he fought, it was his body that knew what to do. His brain did all the thinking, as if it was an independent organ. That was all he focused on.

After his meditation he began shadow fighting - something that all rookie knights did before squaring off with each other later. Of course, rookies usually imagined their targets being weaker than them, but Valkron had a tendency to pick a rookie at random and fight with him with the full force of a real target. He actually disliked shadow fighting, but there was nothing he could do about it - it was part of the curriculum in the Chivalry - and besides, he had grown up with it as well.

At one point, as he skidded in the snow, he considered his state of detachment while he fought. The only conclusion he managed to make at that time was that it probably wasn't healthy, but he didn't have a choice.

It was not easy fighting in snow. Valkron had done so on several occasions, including the time of the Dark Portal, but it was usually only for a few minutes before someone, usually a wizard, melted all the snow using a fire spell. This time, however, he was seriously fighting in what could now be called slush.

Valkron finally paused in his practising. He leaned on his sword and wiped the sweat from his forehead. It was particularly cold today, so he was wearing several layers; however, it had been several weeks since he had donned his helm.

There was a crunch of snow being stepped on. Valkron glanced over his shoulder, and then did a double-take before getting off his sword and turning around.

Emeth was standing casually behind him, fully dressed. In one hand was his staff; in the other, a small buckler.

"Nice weather," he said.

Valkron raised an eyebrow. "Who are you kidding?"

Emeth laughed. "Not much I can say to you, can I?" He stuck the end of his staff into the snow.

"So what are you doing here, then?"

"Thought I'd like to have a one on one with you, mate."

"Why?"

"Don't know, just want to try it."

Valkron scratched his cheek. "You're being funny."

"No, I'm not."

"You know how I fight."

"Yeah, I know." Emeth grinned. "That's why."

The knight sighed. "Fine. Fair play, though."

"Same with you. I'm not trusting you, not with those twenty years of experience you've got behind you."

Valkron waved a hand at him and pulled his sword out of the snow. "Just get on with it."

"What, you're not happy to see me?" asked Emeth, raising his eyebrows.

"What do you think?" Valkron turned around and realised the wizard was being serious. "Oh. No. Sorry. No, I'm actually glad that you came. I don't really like fighting on my own."

Emeth lifted his staff. "Thanks for the answer, I thought I was bothering you. Oh, well. Ready?"

"Hang on!"

Valkron was worried. He had never gone head to head with a wizard before, let alone Emeth. Most people laughed at the usually pallid, silent magic-users for their physical weakness, but what they couldn't do in strength they made it up in magic. This was wizards in general.

Emeth, however, didn't look like a typical wizard. Sure, he was pale, like they were, and he wasn't as fit as Valkron was. But the knight had seen what he could do, and this was not a good time to think about it.

Emeth seemed to be thinking. After a while he said, "I'll try to use as little magic as possible."

"What?" Valkron was stunned. He'd never heard of this before.

"I'm a bit rusty on running about with my staff," supplied the wizard, taking off his cloak. "I usually run about, but it's been a long time. Forgive me for my lack of stamina, will you?"

"Emeth," said Valkron, "I'll forgive you for anything."

"Really? Thanks."

Valkron crouched low in the snow, his sword at the ready. As usual, everything in the background faded away; only Emeth was his target now.

There was silence.

Valkron shot forward. Emeth threw himself backwards with surprising agility. The knight swiped at him.

Most people would have ducked. Emeth jumped into the air and _somersaulted_, Valkron's sword passing under him.

Valkron had to jerk back as Emeth kicked out at him, the tip of the wizard's shoe barely inches from the tip of his nose. The wizard landed lightly back on his feet.

Suddenly Emeth attacked with his staff. Valkron barely managed to block with his sword. He was still in shock; his body, as it were, was doing everything for him. But...

Emeth moved like a knight specialising in speed and spearmanship. There was no doubt about it. He could fight as well as the other knights in the Chivalry, without using his magic. _He could fight on par with Valkron._

Snow sprayed into the air as they fought. Valkron had never had such a challenging opponent besides Baphomet and the ghost of Bamboo Grove Hill - and one was a monster while the other was a spirit! This man was human, he was sure of it, although he doubted himself several times.

Valkron swiped again. This time Emeth ducked, and skidded so close to the knight that for a second Valkron was still outstretched, with Emeth right below him. The wizard sent his staff upwards.

The knight jerked back his head just in time. The staff zipped past his nose. If it had hit his chin at the speed it was going, it would have at least given him a nosebleed. He knew Emeth was not fighting seriously - if he was, upon impact the staff would have gone straight through his chin and out through the top of his cranium.

Valkron skidded away, breathing hard. This was not what he had expected.

Emeth exhaled audibly, his eyes closed. Valkron waited for him until he opened his eyes, and then went for the wizard again. This time, he aimed his hilt.

The wizard whirled aside gracefully, before bringing his staff down on Valkron's back. Valkron, whatever he was, was not Sagna, however; he pivoted on one hand several seconds before the staff landed. He left a long arc in the snow as he brought himself around to face Emeth, and then charged straight on.

Staff and sword met with a loud _clang_. Valkron strained against Emeth, gritting his teeth. If people fought with Emeth this way, their perceptions about wizards being physically weak would have been severely traumatised.

They strained against each other. Then both released at the same time and hit out again. Sparks flew into the air; metal screeched against metal. The sound grated along Valkron's spine like fingernails on a blackboard, but he held. No way was he going to let Emeth win.

_He thinks that way, too_, said a voice in his head.

Now they were fighting straight on, without any dodging or ducking. Valkron parried every blow he got from Emeth, and attacked whenever he saw a potential opening. He himself inadvertently left openings as well, and on certain occasions nearly got himself speared by Emeth's staff.

The fight got faster and faster. Valkron could feel his heart pumping as if it were about to explode with the effort he was putting into the fight. Emeth made it look easy - he was holding Valkron off with what seemed to be mere flicks of his wrist, which caused his staff to move complicated patterns in the air and effortlessly block all of Valkron's blows.

_What the hell is going on?_ he thought, as he fought. _This is incredible! I never knew he was capable of something like this!_

And then suddenly Emeth broke off and stumbled back. Valkron made to move forward, but the wizard threw down his staff and waved his hands frantically at Valkron.

"No! I forfeit!"

Valkron looked mystified. "Forfeit"

"Yeah." Emeth sat down with a _flumph_ in the snow, but he leapt up one second later with a yelp.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, it's just the snow's freezing--"

"No, I meant...why did you forfeit?"

Emeth grinned at him apologetically. "Sorry, I couldn't take any more of your blows. My arms are aching. Your blows made my bones vibrate so hard I thought they were going to break at some point."

"You can't just forfeit like that," said the knight, his hands on his knees. He was still trying to get his breath back.

"I know. Sorry."

"Anyway, where did all that come from? You fight like a knight with a spear!"

"Really?" Emeth looked surprised. "I thought I was a bit slow there."

"Slow? _Slow?_ I've never seen someone fight that fast before! You were giving me hell all the time!" Valkron clutched at his back. "You're kidding me, if you think you're slow."

The wizard shrugged. "I've always liked being a bit physical now and then. Gives my enemies a surprise--"

"That sure gave me one hell of a surprise," muttered Valkron.

"--and sometimes it's really satisfying to see someone go down not because of my magic." He grinned apologetically at Valkron, who was now giving him a look, still bent over. "It's the spice in my life."

"I'm certain that gives spice in any battle, too," said the knight. "Although I think Kushana has now replaced it."

"Oh, shut it, you." Emeth ran his hand through his hair, pulling the overhanging lock away from his face. "Ah, I've never felt better in my life."

Valkron gave him a last look and straightened up. "You are one of the oddest people I've ever met in my-- ow!"

"Ow? You meet people in your ow?"

"Are you trying to be funny?" Valkron choked out.

"What's wrong? You don't look okay."

"What do you mean, I don't look okay? Of course I'm not okay, you dullard! My back's on fire!"

"Did you pull a muscle or something? You're still bending over."

"How the hell am I supposed to know?"

"Okay, okay, don't shout. Come on, I'll get you back into the castle. Maybe Samaroh can help you."

* * *

Samaroh rubbed the tip of his nose lightly. "Hm."

"What is it?" asked Valkron.

"Hm." The priest turned away from the knight and began to pack away his tools.

"What is it?" Valkron was sitting on a table, and he was naked from the waist up. It was freezing, and the knight was disliking the cold even more.

"Hm. Hm."

"Will you stop hm-ing and tell me what's wrong with my back?" demanded the knight. Emeth was standing opposite him, and looking amused.

"I know, I know," replied the priest. "It's just that...it might take some time for me to explain. I'm trying to think up of suitable words that you can understand."

It took him some time, with a lot of pauses and staring at the ceiling in between, but he eventually turned around and leaned against the table on which his pack was sitting. He had folded his arms across the chest and looked serious.

"It seems to me that no matter how wonderful you are, you're also succumbing to age," he said. "Or rather, your body is. Your mentality isn't, as far as I can tell."

Valkron looked like he wanted to kill the priest. Emeth quickly said, "Just explain what's wrong."

"All right, I'll be as straightforward as possible." Samaroh's face was grave. "Your spine consists of twenty-nine bones. Between them are discs of soft tissue that cushion them and enable the spine to move. Apparently one of them in your lower spine has moved out of place, and therefore the two bones it is between is compressing your nerves, which results in the pain you feel now."

There was silence. Then Valkron said, "Please speak in Runic."

"I am," the priest calmly replied. "And I'm not using any technical terms that you might not understand."

"The spine is made of twenty-nine bones?" asked Emet, with a ludicrous look.

Samaroh buried his face in his hands. "Yes. If you think it was a super hard, flexible piece of muscle, then you're wrong."

"All right. What you're saying is that my...nerves...are being compressed by something that's supposed to help me move," said Valkron.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because you do too much fighting for an old man like you," said the priest shortly. "And you're old. Your body won't be able to repair as fast as it used to."

"So how are you going to treat this?"

"Well, the recommended treatment is usually medication, rest, and a lot of other things. Unfortunately, you won't like all of them, and since you'e a knight I can't imagine you taking a break. Or maybe that's just your personality." Samaroh turned away. "Anyway, I can tell that it's quite serious, and it is most likely that all other medication won't help. Therefore I suggest surgery."

"I'd rather not have you holding a blade next to my spine, thanks," said the knight.

"It's your choice, Valkron. Have me a holding a blade to your back and never feel that horrible pain, or don't let me do it and suffer for the rest of your life."

Valkron stayed quiet for a long time. Finally he said, "What are the risks"

"The technique I will use is," Samaroh said something they didn't catch, "and it will involve a very tiny incision. You can choose between being awake or asleep - either way you won't feel pain. However, there is a chance that the disc may slip again, or I may miss some fragments of it. There may also be some nerve damage, and tears in the tissue around the spinal cord."

Emeth watched Valkron. After a while he said, "I don't have a choice."

Samaroh turned to look at him. "I think you'll be fine, though. I still can't figure out why you can heal so fast even at your age."

"Don't ask me," said Valkron, holding up his hands. "I don't know."

* * *

Valkron really didn't remember anything on the day itself, apart from lying down. After talking to him for a while, Samaroh had very primly placed soemthing over his mouth and nose. Within a few seconds, darkness had taken over.

Somehow, while he was asleep, his brain was still thinking. It was slightly annoyed that he couldn't eat for several hours before, but that was it. The main thing it focused on was what Samaroh was doing, which it seriously could not see because the only organs that could relay such images were shut. Valkron himself was slightly annoyed that his brain wouldn't stop, but he decided to let it rest. There was no point pursuing it.

When he awoke, he was lying in his bed. He blinked sleepily at the ceiling a few times, before someone leaned over him.

"How are you?"

Valkron could recognise Samaroh's voice. An aristocratic voice was not hard to remember, and only Samaroh and Kushana had it in his whole guild.

"A bit...tired," he said. "And heavy."

"It'll be fine once you've recovered," said the priest.

"How did it go?"

"Quite well. The neatest operation I've ever done since Adiemus. I won't go into detail, but I don't think that you'll be in bed for long."

"So how long do I have to rest?" Valkron watched the priest lean back in the chair next to his bed.

"Well, once the anaesthetic wears off you'll need to get up and walk a bit. After that you'll be fine. Just don't sit for too long. Most people usually take up to three months before they can go back to their work, but I doubt you'd take that long. You're healthy, for someone as old as you." Samaroh looked quite happy. Valkron felt slightly apprehensive, but maybe that was because he'd never seen the priest smile like that before.

"You're very...pleased."

"Of course I would be. It went well." Samaroh got to his feet. "Well, I'll see you then. Just rest, and don't worry about anything."

As the door shut behind him, Valkron sighed and turned over in bed before closing his eyes.

* * *

Haha, got all sciency again. But then again this is good for my future career.

To be very frank with you I didn't put much detail about the operation, but it's a real thing. Valkron suffered from a herniated (moved) spinal disc in the lumbar (lower back) area. I had several choices of operation, but I chose discectomy (the bit that Valkron and Emeth didn't catch when Samaroh said it), where all the surgeon (in this case, priest) has to do is make an incision about 1 and a half inches long and remove the fragments of disc.

Patients have to walk around once the general anaesthetic has worn off, to prevent blood clots from forming. After that not much exercise has to be done (Valkron's got a whole month left, anyway). A person who works at an office desk can return to work in 2-4 weeks; someone who does strenuous exercise takes up the 3 months.

About the fasting, the patient must not eat or drink six hours before the operation.

As for the anaesthetic Samaroh uses, I won't say what. This is Rune-Midgard, after all.

special note for FFNet: Check the devART link in my profile for the poster of...Warriors of the World 3!

Three-quarters of it is masked, so I'm extending a challenge to all who read this fic to **guess the characters featured in the poster, and the plot related to them**.


	46. Sunset

Chapter 46

**Sunset**

Valkron paid attention to what Samaroh had advised him to do, and actually maintained it for the next few weeks. Quite a few guild members were surprised at this.

"When you've stayed long enough with Valkron, you get used to him," explained Emeth to Aramithar, who had approached the others while the knight was not around. "He seems like a stubborn fool, but he does listen to advice when it's given."

"But he usually doesn't."

"If the advice is about something he knows, and also something he knows more about, then he counters it," said the wizard, pushing aside a stack of books. He looked up at the alchemist. "Otherwise he's a pretty good listener. Comes of being a commander, I think."

"It's hard to imagine a knight like him listening to others," said Kala, who was sitting nearby and watching Nalini taking down notes from her own books.

"Do you follow the image of an arrogant, strong knight?" asked Emeth. When the dancer nodded, the wizard shook his head. "You're following the stereotypical image. Don't. Valkron isn't a stereotypical knight."

"And that explains the whole thing?" asked Silas, in his solemn voice. Zak was lounging in the chair next to him.

"Well, yeah, pretty much." Emeth looked down at the piece of paper he was holding. "Right, this fell out of a book. I should go and put it back where it belongs to, the Geffen librarian will skin me alive if something's missing..."

"It's amazing that you put up with him, too," said Kushana, watching him search for the rightful book. "He used to be a loner, didn't he?"

"It's good he stayed with us. He's changed beyond recognition. Yeah, I'm exaggerating," he added, catching Kushana's expression, "but I think it sounds like that from his point of view. A-ha, there it is..."

"Always busy," sighed Kushana, watching him flip through his papers and then look through his books.

Emeth glanced up from his books. "Wizard's life, Kushana. Don't say I didn't warn you."

"Still. You're as busy as Valkron."

"Or even busier, I should say," remarked Aramithar.

"Not you too." Emeth covered his face with his hand. "I can't remember where I put that book on Theladin's Law!"

"What?" said several people, looking up from whatever they were doing.

"Theory that states all fluctuations in the magical atmosphere are a result of a man-made activity and not spontaneous," explained Samaroh, looking up from his own book. "What's wrong, Emeth? You need to clarify something?"

"I'm supposed to apply Theladin's Law to my current research, but I don't know if it includes dark magic or heaven magic in any way." Emeth sighed. "I just want to check if it does apply to surges in magical aura."

"It does for dark magic, but I'm not too sure about heaven magic." Samaroh frowned. "There's a good book on Theladin's Law in the Prontera Library."

"I don't have the time to go and get the book from there, Samaroh," said Emeth. "But I borrowed a book from the Geffen Library, and the librarian will kill me if I don't bring it back."

"So unlike the adoring librarian of Juno," said the priest under his breath. Nocturne nearly fell off his chair laughing.

Emeth gave him a look. "I'm being serious here. I need to get the research done by the New Year, you know."

"All right, all right, I'll help you look for it," sighed the priest, getting to his feet. "Although I don't know _how_ you lost your book amongst that simple pile you have there..."

It took some time. Aramithar joined in to help. Eventually they came to the conclusion that the book itself was not even in the room.

"Damn it, I need to figure this out really quickly," muttered Emeth, clutching at his head and messing up his hair even more. "I hate magical problems. They stick in my head and make me think about them day and night until I solve them. This is terrible."

"If I knew a lot more about Theladin's Law I would have helped you, but sorry." The priest shook his head at the sorry state of Emeth. "As priests we don't take interest in researching things that just don't help people."

"Yeah, thanks very much," mumbled the wizard. Kushana was trying not to laugh.

After a few minutes, the wizard looked up from the mess of papers scattered about the desk in front of him. "Nalini? Could you help?"

The entire room held its breath. The sage slowly looked up from her books, staring ahead. Then she turned her head slowly to face him.

In the silence, all that could be heard was the howling of the winter wind.

Emeth sighed. "Please? You should know Theladin's Law off by heart. I don't know what you guys do with it, but I guess you're the only person who can help me out here now."

Kushana was watching both of them, her face worried. Samaroh looked as if he was trying to back away without moving. No one could move - the tension in the air was thick.

Nalini blinked, slowly. Then she closed her eyes, her forehead creasing, and spoke in a flat voice, as if she was quoting from a book.

"Theladin's Law states that all magical fluctuations are part of a cause-and-effect situation, the fluctuations being the effect and the cause is usually created by humans. There is no such thing as spontaneous fluctuation. As Theladin himself has proven, the uncommon magical surges in the atmosphere are usually created by wizards attempting to create 'links' with the Yggdrasil Tree, which is renown for its power to grant a human in direct contact with the tree the power of the legendary 'heaven magic'. Dark magic is also considered a cause, due to the usage of magic with the intention of killing, or general malicious intent."

Emeth listened to the entire thing with closed eyes. When she had finished, he opened his eyes and nodded, smiling in relief. "Thank you, Nalini. That should clear up everything."

No one said anything. Everyone was still staring at Nalini and Emeth, who was suddenly staring back at her as if he had just realised she had answered his question.

The door opened.

"Hello, how are all of-- what the hell is going on in here?" asked Valkron, stopping int he doorway. "The tension is thicker than wool. And why are you both staring at each other, Emeth, Nalini?"

"Don't mind them," said Aramithar coolly, the only person not to be bothered by what was happening in the room. He lifted a hand lazily. "Just a few surprises."

"Well, I'm surprised, too." Valkron shut the door and clapped his hands. The sound brought everyone to life. As they shook their heads and wondered about what had happened, he said, over the noise, "Have you two been arguing again?"

"No," said Emeth, still staring at Nalini. "In fact, we just did the opposite."

"What, a truce?"

"Aid," said Nalini softly.

"Good."

The word itself seemed to land heavily on the two. They looked up to see Valkron standing with his hands on his hips and one eyebrow raised.

"I wouldn't like people to argue, not when we're so close to the New Year already," he said. "I know you've both not been on speaking terms ever since that little show, but as I said - no one holds a grudge against you, Nalini, and no one cares about your past, Emeth. Who the heck cares as long as you're bloody here and alive now? Appreciate it. Now, sit down, Emeth. I thought you have work to do."

The wizard quickly sat back down and bent over his work, scribbling furiously. Nalini resumed her own research.

Kushana and Iruna exchanged looks, and then looked up just in time to see Valkron give them a wink.

* * *

Sheuth scanned the paperwork on his own desk. He was sitting in Gondul, as usual; Vineis and Alya were elsewhere in the castle.

There was nothing much he could do for now. The Black Cross did not hire mercenaries, save for Kuroihi, who was a logistics officer more than a mercenary. This meant that the guild members stayed in their respective castles. With so many people around, Sheuth could do nothing of what he intended.

In the silence he pulled out a piece of paper from under a large paperweight and looked at it. The corner of his mouth turned upwards. He'd kept this for several months now; it was time it was implemented.

His first target was...

There was a knock on the door. Sheuth slammed the paper face down on the desk, as if on automatic. Then he came to his senses.

"Who is it?" he asked.

"It's Alya," said a voice from the other side of the door.

The rogue went over to the door and opened it. The sage was standing just outside.

"Vineis wants to know if you still have the guild records for last year, and if you do he'd like to have them," she said. "Seyren needs them."

"He's here too?" asked the rogue, in his flat, expressionless voice.

"Yes. He just arrived, and he's in a hurry."

Sheuth shrugged. "Come in while I see if I have them. I might have them around somewhere."

Alya stepped into the small room Sheuth had made into his home. She waited as the rogue went to look for the required papers on his desk.

"Hm...they're not here," he said after a while. "They might be in the archive next door. Wait here."

Sheuth left his room and went into the archive. Besides being Vineis' right-hand man, he was the archivist of the guild. It was his duty to see that all records were safely stored away.

He found what he was looking for and came back. Alya was still waiting in the middle of the room for him. She took the thick papers from him and nodded her thanks before leaving.

The rogue sighed. He had to think up of ways of how to implement whatever he had planned--

Hm.

The papers on the table seemed to be out of place.

Panic seized him. He quickly checked all the papers. Everything was there.

The problem was that the first paper was the one he had written part of his plan on.

Sheuth felt dark rage rise, and struggled to force it back down. This was not the time to get angry. Even if Alya had seen it, she would not have understood. Half of it had been written in rogue code, which, to the casual onlooker, would appear to be half-hearted pictograms that made no sense.

Still.

The rogue's eyes narrowed.

* * *

Alya handed over the papers to Seyren. "Everything's here."

"Thank you," said the sage lazily. "Now I will take my leave. I must hurry back to Prontera; I have much work to do."

"Incidentally, Seyren," said the wizard, who was looking at the bookshelf in his room, "has the Raulus been invited?"

"To the upcoming soiree? Of course." Seyren fitted the papers under one arm; his mantle hid it completely from sight. "However, you do not need to worry. It will take place after the thirteenth month."

"I know that," said Vineis. "I'm just asking."

Seyren nodded to them. "Good day."

When he had gone, Alya turned and watched Vineis running the tips of his fingers across his books. She did not say anything until the wizard had found the book he wanted and had gone back to his desk with it.

"Vineis?" she asked.

"Hm?"

"Sheuth is your right-hand man, isn't he?"

"Among other things, yes."

"Is it not a position of trust?"

"If it wasn't, Alya," Vineis looked at her over the top of his book, "it would not be so close to the highest rank."

Alya kept silent for a while. Then she asked, "Do you really trust Sheuth?"

Vineis gave her a look. "If I didn't trust him, Alya, he wouldn't be my right-hand man."

"Why do you trust him?"

"We have a mutual connection." Vineis seemed reluctant to talk any further.

"What kind of mutual connection? Sheuth doesn't seem like the kind of person I'd trust with such responsibilities."

"Are you suggesting that Sheuth has something behind his back which will cause the Black Cross grave consequences?" asked the wizard, straightening up. "It's how you sound like."

"No, I'm not, but somehow I just think he shouldn't have so much authority," persisted the sage. "The way he seems to deal with things on his own makes it...suspicious."

"Suspicious in what way?"

Alya hesitated, and then said, "He might be trying to get rid of the Black Cross' senior circle."

"Impossible." Vineis closed the book he was holding with a thump. "He himself is a member of the inner circle. If he - or anyone - destroys it, there will be no hierarchy in the guild. Who does not want hierarchy?"

"We might not know his true motives," said Alya.

"I trust him with whatever I can, and he does not hide anything from me. I know." Vineis smiled a little. "All he wants to do is protect me. He has always done that, when we were children, and I know he will continue to do so. I doubt he would want me dead. What have I done to wrong him?"

Alya looked worried, but did not press the matter further. Vineis put the book back down on the table.

"Besides," he said quietly, "the inner circle of the Black Cross would never allow itself to be got rid of."

* * *

Valkron was doing work in the meeting room when he became aware that something wasn't right with his surroundings. He was standing up and writing - as it was, he was still recovering from his recent operation, and he could not sit down for long. Sometimes he forgot, and Samaroh would either glare at him or, if he still hadn't noticed, go behind him and yank him up by the collar.

But it was not that today. He raised his head and looked around. Samaroh was not giving him looks; the priest was once again participating in a game of chess, this time against the silent Amaru. Aramithar was helping Eni with her experiments, but they were not using any equipment today. So that meant that the strange sensation he was having was not a warning about them, either.

Emeth and Nalini, notorious for testing spells without warning, were not experimenting today either. The wizard had to write up his research report by the New Year, and judging by the three foot long piece of parchment trailing on the floor he was still not done. Nalini was talking spiritedly with Kala and Kushana; she seemed to have accepted everyone's disregard for what she had done.

Nocturne, Khan and Kyo were playing cards this time. Niki-Haru was watching - she had originally wanted to join, but Iruna had stopped her. The crusader was now braiding the little girl's hair. Niki-Haru could sit very still when she wanted to, he noted.

Kumahar had chosen not to follow Silas and Zak out this time. As a result, there was very soft music in the background. Valkron had not heard of any of the songs Kumahar liked to play; it seemed that he was fond of making up his own music. He was playing a lute today. The knight wondered how many musical instruments did the bard actually keep and use.

The meeting room was normal as usual, and yet Valkron still could not shake off the feeling that something was wrong. He looked around again to make sure his eyes were not playing tricks on his brain, and then looked at the supposedly non-existent windows. There were three in the room, after all.

The weak winter sun outside was setting. The pale orange light was falling into the room, lighting up dark corners before night fell. The knight looked at the wall pendulum clock. The hour hand was at two.

Two in the afternoon.

There was nothing wrong with that.

Suddenly something kicked his brain. _The sun is setting at two?_

The knight put his quill down and went over to the window.

"Emeth?"

"Hm?" said the wizard absently, still bent over his report.

"What's going on outside?"

"What do you mean?"

"Come here, you."

The last sentence had a hint of something that made Emeth put his quill down quickly and get up from his seat. "What is it?" he asked, striding over to where Valkron was standing.

The knight pointed out of the window. "Why is the sun setting now?"

Emeth peered outside. "Huh? It's normal."

"What? You call this normal?"

"Yeah, it's normal."

Valkron blinked at him. The wizard peered out again.

"You've never been out during the thirteenth month?"

"Well...yes."

"You have?" Emeth looked horrified. "Whatever for?"

"Missions in Comodo, Morroc, Mjolnir, St. Capitolina Abbey..."

"What kind of mission?"

Valkron shrugged. "Protection, mainly."

"Against what?"

"Monsters."

"Ever stayed out at night?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Why are you asking me all this?" asked Valkron irritably. "Can't you just get to the point?"

"Because I want to know about the wonderful life you lead as a knight," replied the wizard sarcastically. "Look, just answer my last question."

"Because we were ordered to."

"Exactly." Emeth waved a hand at the window. "Say hi to the Dark, Valkron."

The knight turned to the window. "_That_ is the Dark?"

"Of course. What were you expecting?"

"I thought that the Dark was a lot more...subtle than this."

"The Dark is a period of time when our region is blanketed in darkness, whether day or night," said the wizard. "Thanks to the weakened seals above. They no longer have the strength to prevent the essences of dark magic from clouding up the skies. Winter weakens them as well, because a lot of things happen during winter. Always."

"What kind of things?"

"Let's just say the human race shows more of its dark side during winter. Don't ask me how."

"And where did you get that information from?"

"Theladin's Law."

"What are you, married?" asked Valkron disgustedly. "You can't just apply a law to the ways of the world."

"Theladin was a wandering scholar, Valkron," Emeth explained. "He observed the ways of the world while considering the relation between the human race and the world itself. It's an interesting mystery that the world allows us to use magic."

"It's the only thing that helps us carry out our daily activities."

"Not true! The wheel is a useful invention. Look at the simple things we have now! Even the carts the alchemists and blacksmiths pull along have them! Theladin pondered over such simple inventions and then wondered why, instead of letting us develop them further, the world has given us the power of magic. Even Samaroh is doing the opposite of magic now, in his work."

"Okay, okay, I understand. But it doesn't necessarily mean that the Dark has to do anything with it."

"Remember what I told you about the Guardian Stars? Yeah, there you go."

Valkron looked out of the window again. "So why is this happening?"

"The sun sets early on the last day of the twelfth month. After that it'll be darkness straight through, regardless of whether the sun is out or not. The Dark blocks the sun out. If you want to you can follow the clock, but twenty-four hours of darkness will destroy your sense of time, sooner or later. Don't worry, the effect is only temporary," he added, seeing Valkron open his mouth, "but for now you can bet on it."

"I don't think I will. Thanks anyway." Valkron went back to work.

_So this is the Dark?_ he thought. _Sinister. It feels just like--_

Kyo cheered as he won. As Nocturne and Khan stared at him, Niki-Haru giggled, nearly causing Iruna to release the perfect braid she had just made.

_--the Dark Portal._

Valkron didn't like the feel of the Dark. He felt awkward and troubled, and something was telling him that it would not go away until the Dark did.

As he watched the window outside, he noticed that dim violet dots were falling from the sky, like snow.

* * *

It was true that there was no snow in Payon, but Shen was still herding everyone into Bamboo Grove Hill. The hunter had grown up in Payon all his life, and therefore had lived with the stories he had heard from childhood. Of course, people would scoff at him for believing in fairytales, but for now he didn't even care. Fairytales or no, they were still going in.

The sun had almost disappeared by now. The rays of light had acquired a purplish tinge to them. Shen knew this was a sign of danger, and his hunter's senses told him that this month would be particularly wild. He had no intention of leaving people outside, nor was he going to let them out.

He was shooing in the last of his guild extension's members when a warp appeared next to him and faded away to reveal Adiemus, Raven and the Kafra of Scarlet Palace.

"Shen, you're not going to let people out, are you?" asked Raven, before the grey-haired hunter could even open his mouth.

"Why should I?" asked the hunter. "It's the Dark."

"I told you, Adiemus," said the rogue triumphantly. "The Dark's here. We have to keep everyone inside Scarlet Palace, including the pecos."

"I don't see why I should follow some old wives' tale," replied the crusader defiantly. "The Dark's always been around. There's no reason to fear it."

"There is, Adiemus," said Shen, before Raven could counter. "And I would heed the warning about the Dark, especially because your castle is built above the lake. Greenwood Lake itself is deep, and there are creatures we do not know residing in its depths. It is known that during the Dark they rise to the surface to look for prey."

"And why would they do it during the Dark, not any other time?" asked the crusader.

"Because the Dark is the only time when dark magic runs rampant in the world," answered the hunter. "Those creatures require dark magic to sustain themselves above the surface of the water. And don't look at me like that, Adiemus - Greenwood Lake is near where the old Payon city used to stand. Dark magic was practised heavily in the old times. Why do you think Moonlight Flower still runs around there?"

"Now, Shen--"

"Don't tell me anything that goes against what I learned before," warned the hunter. "I am a Payonese. Don't go against my home."

"Best not to challenge him. Adiemus," said Raven. "Come on, we've got to go back."

The Kafra of Scarlet Palace opened up another warp; the three of them disappeared into the whiling blue-white light. Shen shook his head.

"Foreigners," he muttered.

* * *

Hi, guys, I'd like to ask something.

At the moment, I've been...setting up what needs to be set up, but I just need to know about something. It may or may not affect the story - that one depends on the story itself (like I said, although I'm setting it up, the story is running entirely on its own).

I just want to know what people think of Vineis, now that I've revealed more about him.

Thanks.

EDIT: I had to edit this because Jen pointed out a ridiculous mistake I made. XD Thanks, love.


	47. The Longest Night

Chapter 47

**The Longest Night**

Valkron could remember all he used to do during the thirteenth month, when he was carrying out his missions. He was usually given orders to stay indoors for the whole month, and never look out of the window. Other knights with him were fine with it; they gambled, drank and generally enjoyed themselves. Valkron, on the other hand, spent his time in silence wondering about the outside.

Now he knew what it looked like. As the days passed, the sky took on a hellish dark red-black hue. The atmosphere grew colder than ever before - every time he peeked out of the window he could see icicles hanging from the uppermost window ledge and frost all over the glass.

Even worse, Emeth went down with a fever that did not abate whatever Samaroh did. Nalini fell ill shortly after, with symptoms similar to a bad cold, except that colds did not last for more than a week.

"You can't use magic to help them, Samaroh?" Valkron asked in despair one day.

"For the last time, Valkron, _no_. There is no magical cure for a fever or a cold. Now, stop asking me about it and let me do what I can to at least relieve their pain."

"But--"

"Valkron, this isn't a matter of 'keep asking and I might suddenly realise I can do it'," said the priest irritably. "It's fixed. Colds can't be cured with magic. And Emeth isn't actually ill. His body is struggling to fight back. All he needs is rest. Leave them be."

The knight, however, felt something was seriously missing in his life every time he realised that the wizard was not around. He often went to see Emeth, but he did not stay for long. Emeth was usually in a deep sleep and, if he ever woke up, did not stay up for long in his weakened state.

All the friendly monsters of the forest had gone. Before Emeth had fallen ill, he had warned Valkron of the dangerous creatures that emerged from the forests during the night. At first Valkron had been sceptic about it, but after leaving his window slightly open for one night he did not even dare leave them open. The sounds from outside had kept him awake until he had slammed the window shut, partially out of fear and partially out of annoyance.

Strangely enough, the winter wind did not blow during this time. Instead, snow piled up higher and higher. The meeting room soon suffered from lack of natural light due to the snow piled up against the windows. Repherion appeared to sink into the snow by one storey, no matter what they did to try and clear the snow.

"Don't try it," Emeth had told him weakly one day. "It's not ordinary snow. No matter how much you try to clear it, it'll come back the very next day. Forget it."

Valkron did not even bother to open the doors of Repherion. None of them had wanted to step outside the castle; instead, they had attempted to clear it off from the battlements.

But that was how it was. Hlin continued to warp back and forth between Repherion and Geffen to buy food and firewood, but she did that on a less regular basis. The only reason why she could safely warp between the two places was because Geffen's protection had been successful, although right now the overseer of the spells was currently ill.

"That's good to hear," Emeth had said weakly, when Valkron had managed to catch him awake and told him the news. "I thought...some of the spells were a little...weak."

"Somehow casting spells that don't work just doesn't fit you," Valkron had remarked.

Emeth had shrugged. "Magic isn't...an exact science."

Nevertheless, as the month wore on, Valkron began to get cranky. No one could blame him. The castle was strangely quiet without the usual joke-makers around.

The atmosphere was also affecting the others. Silas and Zak were subdued and, quite surprisingly, whiled their time away by playing chess. Samaroh, as usual, was working away on his own research, but he too seemed a lot quieter. _Everyone_ was quieter; it seemed as if someone had died, in Repherion.

To prevent himself from snapping at others for no reason, Valkron spent more time with Iruna. Most of it was sitting together in silence, but it was her company he preferred. Her presence calmed him down more than anything else. Besides, he found that he liked to watch Iruna doze off on his shoulder. Sometimes their guild mates would find them sitting together, fast asleep due to boredom.

If Iruna was not available, however, Valkron then stared out of the window. The eternal darkness pulled him towards it. Maybe it was because he had been afflicted with a mark of that attribute. Maybe it was because he had spent so much time during the Dark Portal that he was more used to its atmosphere. Whatever it was, he gazed up into the dark red-black sky with a glazed, fascinated look on his face.

Iruna once went up to him to ask him something, and then decided against it after taking one look at his face. But she did notice the dark clouds swirling over Valkron's irises, although she wasn't too sure if she was seeing things or not.

* * *

As long as no one peered outside, however, it seemed fine. True, Repherion was quieter than usual, and not many people were seen around the castle, but it did fine all the same.

Apart from the Repherion-based troops, the two sole occupants of Eyorbriggar had come over as well - Albrecht and Eld, Kafra of Eyorbriggar. The Kafra of Merseitzdeitz, Fulla, had returned to Al de Baran at the start of the twelfth month, but somehow Hlin and Eld were staying.

"We'd like to stay with our guild during the Dark," said Eld, when Iruna had asked. "It's not right for us to leave. If our guild needs us during the Dark, it would be helpless just because we're not around."

"What about Fulla?" asked Iruna.

"Fulla has things to do," answered Hlin mysteriously.

Iruna smiled, a little hesitantly. "Thank you."

One day, Valkron looked up at the little calendar hanging from a nearby cupboard. He had maintained his constant standing throughout, so it was easy for him to see what day it was.

They had reached the middle of the thirteenth month. The knight sighed. The odd hush in the castle was starting to get to him, but he didn't want to let out his anger on anyone. It was unreasonable and childish.

Valkron put his quill down and began walking over to the window. The Dark outside was attracting him again. He had a feeling it was unhealthy, but somehow he just could not resist the pull of that dark red-black sky outside...

"Valkron?"

The knight looked around. Samaroh had come into the room and was standing in the doorway.

"Could I talk to you?" he asked. "Outside?"

Valkron raised an eyebrow, but he said, "Sure."

Outside the room the hallway was unnaturally cold. Valkron absently rubbed his hands together in a bid to keep himself warm. "What is it, Samaroh?"

"We're in the middle of the month, right?"

When the knight nodded, Samaroh sighed. "Good. I don't think I can take much of this any longer. I know you can't, either, but hey - two weeks left."

"Fourteen days is still a long time, Samaroh," said the knight.

"I know, I know...but at least it's better than three months."

Valkron had to agree with the priest. He didn't think he could stand doing nothing for three months of the Dark. At least he had been doing something during the Dark Portal, but that didn't count.

"How's Emeth?"

"Oh, he's okay. As long as he drinks enough water and gets enough food he's fine. Nalini too - she seems to be developing some kind of resistance to the Dark. That's good news, if you don't know that."

"That's good, then," said Valkron. "Hang on. Is it me, or do magic users only get affected by the Dark?"

"Sort of," replied Samaroh. "Actually, as long as you utilise any form of magic, you're affected. It's just that those who use magic most of the time are affected the most."

"Well, I'm surprised."

"Why?"

"You seem to be having quite some strength against it."

Samaroh shook his head. "That's what I came to see you about."

"What?"

The priest sighed. "It's not been easy. I could have chosen to give in, but when Emeth and Nalini fell ill I _had_ to fight it down. Valkron, I don't have any strength left to fight it back."

The knight stared at Samaroh in horror. Now that the priest had mentioned it, Valkron could see the signs of the Dark taking its toll on him - the bloodshot eyes, the tired, slight slur in his speech, the darkening of shadows on his face.

"You can't give up," he said. "Not now."

"It's not a matter of giving up or not," explained the priest. "Of course I won't give up! However, it's not like it's my choice. Sooner or later the Dark forces itself on _everybody_."

"Then why aren't I getting affected?"

"Because you have more resilience. You don't depend on magic, do you? Also, you're physically fit."

Valkron reached out and gripped Samaroh by the shoulder. "You are _not_ falling to it."

"I'll try not to, but you do know I need to rest." The priest gestured feebly. "I have to stop resisting it for a while. Sleep, anything that will help me relax. The only problem is that if I give in to it, I might sleep like Emeth."

"You can't do that!"

"Come on, Valkron!" said Samaroh, in a slightly irritated tone of voice. "Even someone like you has to admit that you can't do anything this time!"

The knight stared at Samaroh for a long time. Eventually he said, "Is there anything I _can_ do, for you?"

* * *

Iruna sat down next to Valkron and looked at him.

After a while she said, "Trying not to let out all that frustration?"

Valkron sighed. It had been a week since he had that talk with Samaroh. The end of the thirteenth month was drawing near, but not fast enough.

"We're a complete mess, and I can't do anything about it," he said dully. "It's not like I want to vent my frustration out on someone, but I wish I could."

The crusader laid her head on his arm. "The fact that you're preventing it from happening is enough for me."

"Mm." Valkron put his head in his arms.

After a while, Iruna said, "I'm also quite surprised to see you do something for Samaroh."

"I didn't have a choice, did I? Besides, I do want to take care of my guild members."

"Well, letting him rest is quite something." Iruna blinked, and then frowned a little. "But what about Emeth and Nalini?"

"Samaroh said they'll be fine," said Valkron, still with his head in his arms. "After all, he can't do anything about them. It's up to them, as he said."

"Hm."

Silence.

Finally Valkron got up. "I'm not supposed to sit down for long," he said, getting off his seat. "How's the two kids, Iruna?"

The crusader gave him a look that said everything. "It looks as if I'm being a mother here."

"You're better with them than me," replied the knight, his eyebrows raised. "You know how much Niki hates me. And Kyo seems to be having more fun with Amaru and Khan."

Iruna shrugged. "I only take care of Niki. And speaking about her, you could be a lot nicer to her."

"She brings back too many memories."

Iruna looked up, her mouth opening to ask him what he meant by that, but he had already gone.

* * *

Although Valkron was certainly expecting to live through the dull, boring experience, he did not realise that it was not to be that way for long.

He had been gazing at the sky through the window for some time on the day before the last day of the thirteenth month, when the door crashed open. Several people jumped at the commotion.

"Sir!" cried Hlin, who was clutching her skirts as she stood in the doorway. "Geffen needs help! They're sending out a distress signal!"

Valkron straightened up. "Why?"

"It looks like the spells holding up Geffen's defences are weakening early!" Hlin was pale and looked frightened. "My colleagues are holding off the monsters, but they can't do it on their own!"

"What about the wizards of the Geffen Magic Academy?"

"They're all weak or ill!"

Valkron swore under his breath. He had forgotten the Dark affected magic users heavily.

"Right, we'll need to go," he said to the room at large. "We're probably the only people here who can protect Geffen, so let's go and get things straightened out. Even if it means staying there till the end of the month. Come on!"

Everyone agreed, rising from their chairs. Valkron watched as they filed out and went to join them...

...and was stopped by Samaroh.

"I thought you were resting," said the knight.

"I'm coming."

Valkron opened his mouth. He shut his mouth. Then he opened it again to say, "Whatever for? You look like you're at death's door."

"I'm coming," repeated the priest. He _did_ look as if he was deathly ill, with his paleness and dark shadows under his eyes.

Valkron stared at him for a few minutes longer, and then sighed. "I can't stop you, that's for certain...and I know we'll need you badly enough."

"I won't slow you down, I swear this," assured the priest. "I'll look after myself."

"No, _I_ am looking after you."

It was now Samaroh's turn to stare at Valkron. The knight had folded his arms across his chest, making him look as if he was a formidable wall that was not going to allow anything to pass.

"I'm going to make sure nothing reaches you," he said. "Woe betide _anything_ that touches you. Now, get on with it and stop gaping at me like a silly goldfish. I mean what I say."

"Wait, you can't just--"

"I've been trained to take the most of a fight, as well as defend and protect. Now get going, I don't have time to mess about with you, and we don't have time to talk while Geffen comes under attack!"

Samaroh gave him one last ludicrous stare before turning and fleeing for it. Valkron watched him go.

In his mind, he thought, _And I hope to hell nothing goes wrong this time._

* * *

Geffen was in an uproar. The noise hit Valkron like an oncoming stampede of pecos when Hlin's warp disappeared. He looked around him.

People were helping out with the wizards' defences. Many of them were armed. Even the Geffen guards had come out. Of the wizards of Geffen, a few were only able to stand, but this was stopping them from attempting to reinforce the spells.

He grabbed a wizard running past him. "Hello, Blizzardriss. Still standing strong, I see."

"No time to talk about this, Valkron," said the Magic Academy registrar, as the knight released his grip on the wizard's collar. "I've got several spells to reinforce, and most of them are outside. I'm going to have to risk my life for this."

"Wait, Iruna and I will come with you." Valkron drew his sword.

When they got out of the city, Valkron had to admit he was slightly disappointed. Although the magical fluctuations around the city were devastating and enormous, there were no monsters in sight.

"That's because the spells aren't destroyed," answered Blizzardriss, when Valkron put this to him. "They're merely weakened, but they're still keeping off monsters. However, I'd ask you to keep an eye out for them all the same."

Valkron and Iruna kept watch as Blizzardriss tended to the spells. 'Reinforcing' the spells meant adding additional strength to weak points. Although he seemed to be healthy enough, Valkron noticed that the wizard was trailing off in his incantations, and his eyes glazed over irregularly.

_The Dark's also affecting him_, thought Valkron.

They went to all the gates of Geffen without any trouble happening. Blizzardriss kept them away from the spells; Valkron was only too happy to stay away from them. The spells had been distorted out of their neat, circular shapes - they were twisted badly, scrunching up or spinning wildly and spitting out sparks as they did.

They were guarding him as he did the last gate when he said, "Uh oh."

The little sound made them turn.

Blizzardriss was backing away from the spell in front of him. As they stared at it, it wavered and twisted, as if something was torturing it from within.

Suddenly it enlarged. Blizzardriss turned, and shoved Valkron and Iruna away from him. He spun around to face the spell and pointed at it. He started speaking a few words quickly. Red lightning struck the spell. It subsided.

The two of them looked up and sighed in relief as the spell shrunk--

--Blizzardriss suddenly turned on his heel--

--and the spell exploded.

The show was similar to the fireworks in Comodo, but Valkron did not have the time to enjoy it. The spell had morphed into what looked like coagulated blood, twisting and jerking in the air like some sort of alien life form preserved in one of the containers in the Institute of Alchemy and trying to get out. Its colour mirrored the red-black sky.

"Blizzardriss!"

Valkron looked down - and recoiled in horror. The wizard had protected both of them when he had shoved them aside. Blood covered one side of his face, and a deep gash ran from his cheek to his neck. The knight could imagine the exposed flesh underneath the skin. He shuddered.

"Iruna, bring him into the city," he said quickly. "You can heal him there. We don't have time out here, the spell's ruptured!"

But there was no need to say so. As he said those words, he looked up and realised that the shadows from the forest were reaching towards them, creeping with tendrils of darkness. At the same time he heard some sort of screaming in his subconscious, and knew the ruptured spell had not only been converted into dark magic, but was also calling out to the creatures in the forest.

"Come on!" he said to Iruna, who was facing towards the forest as well. The crusader got Blizzardriss to his feet, threw his arm over her shoulders and set off, Valkron keeping guard.

As they hurried back to the gates of Geffen, Valkron heard something else. The wind was picking up behind them, and it was screaming. He could imagine an unseen monster coming after them, teeth bared, claws reached out...and there were more.

"Iruna! Run!"

"Run? You're asking me to run?"

"We don't have a choice!" Valkron took Blizzardriss from her. "They're coming!"

"What is?"

"Questions later!"

They broke out into a slow run. Valkron could feel something creeping up his neck. He slapped at it, but it was nothing. Or rather, it was the coldness of fear.

A tunnel of wind overtook them, nearly making them trip. Valkron picked up his pace. His head was throbbing slightly, and somehow he could smell blood in the air. He was shocked that he was not repulsed by it - instead, he could feel something rise in him, sniffing the air eagerly, licking its lips in anticipation.

There was a screeching howl. This time Iruna and Valkron actually did break out into a run, as fast as their armour could allow them. The gates were not far now. They could make it--

Valkron looked over his shoulder, and then regretted it.

They threw themselves through the gates just in time. Iruna turned back and slammed the gates together, barring it and locking it as fast as she could. The gates suddenly lurched inwards, hitting her in the face. Something was throwing itself against it.

Valkron set Blizzardriss on the ground and, with all his strength, slammed into the gates so hard that whatever it was on the other side was hit back. Iruna regained her sense of balance and continued barring the gates, while Valkron forced his whole weight on them.

"Can't you do it faster?" he said breathlessly.

"Want to try?"

The knight became aware of something wet seeping through his clothes. He looked at the gap between the gates. There was something sticky and glistening leaking through the gap. It was clinging onto his clothes.

_"Iruna!"_

"I know, I know!" The crusader fumbled with the last lock. "Hang on a bit more!"

Valkron could smell the substance. It stank of rotting corpse, and yet there was a tanginess to it that something in his subconscious was responding to. He turned his head away from it, and continued forcing the gates closed, while Iruna dealt with the lock.

She stepped back. "There, it's done."

Valkron pulled himself away from the gates. There was silence for a moment, and then the things - whatever they were - on the other side of gates began to throw themselves against it. The gates continued to lurch and rattle as Valkron and Iruna hurried off with Blizzardriss.

"What _is _that stuff on your shoulder, Valkron?" she asked him, when an innkeeper took Blizzardriss from them.

The knight looked at his shoulder. There was some sort of black, sticky liquid clinging to his armour. He tried to brush it off, but it was like the sticky mucus people harvested from pupas.

"It'll come off, sooner or later," he said, to a disgusted Iruna. "What are you looking at it like that for? It's not on _you_."

"You could at least take it off now-- what's that noise?"

They looked up. Silver ripples were appearing in the sky above Geffen.

"The shield above us is weakening," said Samaroh, who was standing near them. "Monsters are hitting it, and trying to break through it."

"Is there anything we can do about it?"

"Not with more than half of Geffen's wizards unable to do anything."

There were screams from the other end of Geffen. Valkron, Iruna and Samaroh turned to look in alarm. People were running towards them, shouting and screaming in fear.

A wizard ran past them. Valkron caught him as he went past. "What's going on?"

"The spells on the other side have been broken through," said the wizard hurriedly. "The gates are secured, but I doubt they'll hold on any longer--"

This time Valkron _felt_ something swoop over them. The wizard in front of them collapsed. At the same time Samaroh clutched his head and dropped to his knees.

There was a crash.

The gates had been broken through.

* * *

In Repherion, Emeth turned over in bed and opened his eyes. He lay in bed for a while, staring up at the ceiling.

Then he sat bolt upright. His eyes were wide open and staring unseeingly at the opposite wall. His lips moved as if he was saying something to himself.

Then he swung his legs out of bed and got off. Although he staggered a little, nothing was going to stop him from unhooking his cloak and taking his staff, and walking out of the room.

* * *

The members of the Raulus were now fighting hard against the creatures that had come flying in from the outside. None of them were recognisable to Valkron - not that he wanted to look at them, at any rate.

But sometimes fighting them meant looking straight into their eyes. This was a bit hard, considering some of them had either no eyes or too many eyes to count at all. Their faces were mostly taken up by bloodstained fangs, gaping, stinking mouths and rotting flesh.

Valkron fought hard against them, amidst the throng of monsters. His sword slashed and bit into flesh. Stinking black blood splattered everywhere. It was amazing that he could go on, but...

He was being driven by his instinct to protect, he knew that. But there was something in him that was also forcing him onwards, urging him to answer the thirst for blood inside him. He tried to ignore it, but he couldn't help seeking more to kill whenever the monsters tried to avoid him.

However, there was one thing that was overriding all of it. It was keeping Samaroh safe.

The priest's magic was working wonders. Monsters scrambled over one another to get out of the way. At one point, Valkron witnessed him slamming the ground with his open palm, before a massive cross of light slammed down into the ground around him. Monsters had exploded _everywhere_.

But this did not mean the priest was completely invulnerable. He was tiring easily. Valkron fought to keep the monsters away from him whenever he rested, and Iruna helped when she could. The rest of the Raulus were fighting elsewhere, scattered around Geffen as they tried to keep the monsters at bay.

Samaroh swept his hand in an arc in front of him. White light exploded forth and drove back the monsters. Valkron smiled a little at this; he knew his priest was capable of fighting back--

A dog-like monster lunged out at the priest. Samaroh began to lift his hand, but the monster had already leapt into the air and was heading straight for him, jaws wide open, claws outstretched--

Valkron met the monster head on. His sword blurred. The monster hung in mid-air for a second, and then it split into half. Blood rained down onto the paving stones.

Samaroh watched as the knight sped off to deal with another corner of Geffen. He was worried for the knight. Valkron had looked at him before he had gone, and the priest was sure he saw dark clouds in Valkron's eyes.

* * *

Iruna slammed her sword into the ground. A massive cross materialised on the ground and emitted rays of light. The gruesome creatures recoiled and back away from her.

She wiped her forehead. Her blindfold was, thankfully, blocking out sight of the creatures, but from the sounds and the smells she could imagine them. Also, she had not gone unscathed - there were two long scratches on one cheek, and she felt bruised from the few minutes monsters had tried to pile on her to stop her from attacking them.

The crusader turned her head. Her sword was glowing brightly from Samaroh's Aspersio. She could feel him standing nearby, as Valkron had told him to do. His life force ebbed, but he was standing strong still. Somewhere else she felt the surge in the air as energy from Silas flowed through the atmosphere, channelling strength into his attacks.

But where was Valkron?

Iruna turned around. The knight had a very distinctive life force. Although not as similar as a magical signature, which all wizards, sages and priests had, it was strong and different. Iruna had always felt him whenever she was close to him, and often marvelled at the aura he emitted.

But now...it was gone.

The crusader yanked her blindfold down, so that it was around her neck. She scanned the surroundings anxiously. No, Valkron was not around. Where had he gone?

"Iruna!" shouted Samaroh, half-raising his book as if to defend himself.

The crusader swung her shield around - and just in time. Something slammed into it, making it reverberate. Iruna grimaced and took away the shield. There was something ghastly there, but she only had a second to see it before her sword sliced cleanly through bone and flesh.

She turned around. "Samaroh, where's Valkron?"

"I don't know! He went that way!"

Iruna was worried. She did not see him where Samaroh had pointed. There was no way of telling.

But she could not leave her post. She had a job to do.

* * *

Valkron had left the scene because he felt as if he was being driven mad. His head was throbbing severely, and he could feel as if something within him was trying to get out. It clawed at him, screaming to be released into the world. He had only managed to get out of the way before his head exploded.

Right now he was sitting with his back to a wall and trying to fight off the pain. His body felt as if it was on fire, and it was taking all his effort to hold back his agony.

Somewhere in his mind, he could see the Dark approaching. Thin, skeletal hands were emerging from the darkness, groping and reaching for him. It had broken the barrier of his usually steeled mind, and now it was invading his head.

He turned. On the other side was the dark, desolate plain he knew so well. In the distance he could see a green hill - something he _had_ to protect, no matter what.

But how?

Despair was filling him, making him lose his calmness. He struggled to maintain it and think of a way out of this, but he felt the darkness in him rise towards the Dark, reaching eagerly towards the grasping, greedy hands.

_...reach for the darkness...it awaits you...more strength, more power...more blood...must KILL..._

Valkron shrank away from it, but he knew there was no use. It was coming for him, and he had nowhere to run and nowhere to hide.

"This is when you need me."

He looked up into the eyes of his other self. And, for the first time since he had seen the other knight, the other knight was looking down at him and smiling.

* * *

Iruna was in deep trouble. The oncoming surge of creatures was overwhelming the sparse forces of the Raulus. They were beginning to retreat; by now they creatures had almost reached Geffen Tower.

Iruna knew they had to stop the monsters before they got any further. Not only was Geffen Tower a 'magical epicentre' - an area in the world that emitted great amounts of earth magic - but the strength of the Dark would awaken the residents of Geffen Dungeon and Geffenia. She was sure that no one would want to have to fight twice as many monsters as there were invading Geffen.

Something like a black dragon attacked her ferociously. Iruna blocked it with her shield and sliced off its neck. A suit of armour with no head lunged at her with its sword; she blocked the blow. She duelled fiercely with the suit of armour, thinking of nothing but the fight, thinking of nothing but destroying the apparition in front of her--

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a creature with two long lances as arms and bat wings fly towards her. At the same time, the suit of armour lunged forward. Iruna was confused. She didn't know which to hit first. She was only human; there was no way she could--

Someone flew in front of her and slashed at the suit of armour. As it reeled, the person brought his sword down on it. There was an awful _crack_.

Just at that moment, Iruna swung around and blasted the winged creature with a white cross. It screeched in pain and flapped away.

Iruna turned to see Valkron.

"Valkron!" she cried, relief flooding her. But he did not answer.

She took a second look at his face, and realised his brilliant green eyes were glowing.

The knight yanked her behind him and dived forwards, at the oncoming crowd. Monsters were flung left to right; blood sprayed and splattered everywhere. Iruna raised her arm as if to shield her face from the sight, although she just could not tear her eyes away from him.

And then Valkron's head jerked up. He stared at the sky for several minutes, and then whirled around and threw himself onto Iruna.

Seconds later, fire, ice, wind and lightning struck the area. The light was so blinding Iruna could see it through her eyelids. The ground shook beneath them; people screamed in fear around them.

And then there was silence.

Valkron got to his feet. Iruna did so too.

"Valkron," she said to him. "What's wrong?"

The knight was facing another way. His green eyes were still glowing. She turned to see what he was looking at.

The six-foot tall silhouette of Emeth loomed in the distance, outlined sharply against the red-black sky. The aura around him was blinding white and whirled around him, whipping his hair past his face.

He was striding towards them. Even from this distance Iruna could see his golden eyes glowing like fiery discs.

She backed away when he reached them, but he did nothing to attack them. Instead, he looked straight at Valkron. The corners of his mouth curled upwards.

"Not much of a choice to have, eh, Valkron?" he said. His voice was low and threatening, and yet the way he had said it had a touch of his own joking voice.

Valkron snorted, much to Iruna's surprise. "Turning to your own darkness in order to escape the Dark was preferable." His voice was like Emeth's.

"Compared to accepting it?" The wizard laughed a low, gloating laugh. "We seem to be nothing but monsters to them, either."

Valkron turned around and looked up into the sky. Everyone else, who had been picking themselves up from the ground, did the same. So did Iruna.

The dark sky above was dissolving away, revealing light blue in its stead. Puffy white clouds replaced the heavy overcast clouds. As the red-black sky vanished, the rays of the sun shone down upon Geffen. It illuminated the carnage that had transpired before the dark sky had dwindled away. Flesh and bone littered the place, along with carcasses and bodies. Pools of blood stank everywhere.

As the light returned to the world, it illuminated the faces of the Raulus. Many of them were tired and grimacing. A lot of them were splattered with blood and filth.

And as the darkness fled from the light, the glow from Emeth and Valkron's eyes disappeared. They looked at each other again, and smiled wanly.

"Never thought you'd be strong enough to come," said Valkron.

"Never thought _you_ would be strong enough to overcome it," said Emeth.

A second later, both of them had collapsed. The Raulus went into a panic around them, before Samaroh and Iruna calmed them down and saw to them.

But there was one thing they knew, one thing they could sigh in relief with. The longest night was over, and with it, winter.

* * *

The longest night is over with me, too.

THIS CHAPTER WAS A PAIN IN THE ARSE TO WRITE.

And so it is awesome.

Do you know it feels like to be drugged? I'm under the effects of being drugged - without the drug. I've been with it for a couple of days now.

Sorry for the delay, but I've been busy as usual (no, not exams, although I wish I didn't have ANY lessons at all after them).


	48. Clouds in the Sky

Chapter 48

**Clouds in the Sky**

A lot of time was spent clearing and cleaning up Geffen. Several hundred people had died at the hands of the Dark, and there were funerals to hold. The stinking blood from the carcasses and the battle was polluting the air, and the smell was so bad that everyone walked around with handkerchiefs tied around their mouths and noses for as long as the cleaning took.

During that time, the Raulus guild helped out whenever they could. Winter was over, but the coldness and the snow still had to go; nevertheless, upon hearing the news that their beloved city had been attacked, all the different divisions came from every corner of the kingdom to help out.

Valkron was supervising the moving of bodies off the street when he noticed a merchant and a swordsman pass him. They were not members of the Raulus - they did not wear the phoenix-shaped badge.

He heard the merchant whisper, "The spells for Geffen were weakened, that's what I heard."

"Heh. That just proves how useless the Geffen wizards are," said the swordsman.

"Hush! That wouldn't do any good. Maybe it was just by chance that the spells were weak that night. They protected Geffen for the whole month, didn't it? It was just the last day when the spells gave up on them, that's all. It doesn't mean they're not strong, or the wizards are no good."

"Well, aren't those defences a measure of the wizards' power?" retorted the swordsman. "If they can't defend their own city, they can't do anything!"

A shadow loomed over them. They looked up at the fearsome form of Emeth.

"You two," he said, pointing his staff at them, "if you have nothing to do, get out of the city. We're busy cleaning up, and we don't have the time to entertain visitors."

They stared at him. Then the swordsman said triumphantly, "What, ashamed that you couldn't protect the city? You guys are pathetic! You're wizards, and you can't even do your job!"

Emeth stared at the swordsman. Valkron began to move from his post, aware that the wizard, who had not been in a happy mood when he came around earlier, was capable of blasting someone apart.

"Oh?" said the wizard. "Then prove to me that the spells weakened because of us."

There was silence. Then the swordsman replied, "Well, you cast them!"

"We did."

"So? That means they must have been terrible!"

"Shows you know _nothing_ about spells, and nothing about the Dark," remarked the wizard. "Get out and go learn some more before you come back and challenge me with your ignorance."

The swordsman put a hand on his sword hilt. "You don't have the right to chase us out!"

"No, but I advise you to listen to him, all the same," said a voice from behind him. "Take your hand off your sword and leave. I'm very sorry this has to happen, but if you draw that sword of yours I will draw mine and we'll see who's the better sword meister here."

The swordsman turned and leaped a foot into the air. He went off so fast that the merchant didn't even have the time to catch up with him. The two of them watched the youngsters go.

"Stupid young generation," muttered the wizard. "They don't even know what the Dark can do to you, and they come here and say things like that? Fools."

"All right, all right, Emeth," said Valkron, patting him on the shoulder. "I don't want an angry wizard clearing up the streets with fire as well. Go back to your work."

Emeth turned on his heel and headed back down the street. Valkron shook his head, and then remembered something.

"Emeth!"

The wizard turned. "What?" he shouted back irritably.

"How's Blizzardriss?"

At this Emeth's face turned from angry to worried. He strode back up the street to where Valkron was standing, and lowered his voice. "You were there when he...?"

"He bloody defended us, Emeth. You think I'm going to pretend nothing happened?" retorted Valkron, but in a voice as low as Emeth's.

The wizard sighed. "Blizzardriss is doing fine, although that scar on his face is never going to heal. A wound inflicted that badly by dark magic has a very low chance of healing completely. He says he'll grow his hair out to try and hide it, but there's nothing much we can do now. Not even Samaroh can neutralise the dark magic in the wound."

"So that means Blizzardriss will never have dark magic completely removed from his system?" asked Valkron.

"Well...he'll probably have an odd liking for morbid ideas, but that's probably just about it."

"Ah. I won't be surprised, then."

Emeth shrugged. "You're never surprised at us wizards, anyway. Gotta go back and see to the cleaning up of the streets. See you."

Valkron watched him go, anxious and deeply troubled.

* * *

"I don't understand, Valkron," said Iruna. "How did you fight down the Dark? You were falling victim to it."

Valkron sighed. He'd been explaining this several times over, and this was going to be the fifth or sixth time - he didn't remember which.

"Let me say this again," he said patiently. "I had a choice, Iruna. It was either accept _my_ own dark side, or accept the Dark."

"Is there a difference?" asked Nocturne, sipping a cup of tea nearby.

"Yes, there is in fact a very big difference," answered the knight, rolling his eyes. "I can control my own dark side. You can't control the Dark. If I had accepted the Dark, I would have gone mad and killed every one of you."

"But isn't the Dark the one that gave rose to your dark side--"

"For the last time, _no_. The Dark is the Dark, and I am me. There's a huge difference on that. Now, will you all stop asking me questions about it? I know myself the best, so it's not up to you say that it doesn't make a difference!"

"Go easy on them, Valkron," said Emeth, patting him on the shoulder. "They don't understand. It's only fair that you explain to them."

"I've already explained to them five times!"

"Six," supplied Nocturne helpfully.

"Whatever," snapped Valkron. "Yes? What is it?"

This question was addressed to Khan, who had put up his hand.

"What about Emeth?" he said. "Emeth's eyes were glowing that night, too. And how did he overcome the Dark to come all the way to Geffen and fight?"

Everyone's heads turned to Emeth. The wizard waved his hands at them.

"Don't stare at me like that," he said hastily. "I just did what Valkron did. It's not like we had much of a choice."

"But it gives you more strength and power than your usual selves," said Iruna. "Sounds like the Dark to me."

Valkron turned around and reached out with both hands for her face. He clasped her face and brought it so close to his that the tips of their noses were touching. "Iruna," he said, "I used to be a killing machine before. _That_ was the dark side of me. The side I don't want to show, ever again. I'm sure Emeth had has the same experience. Don't make us talk about it. It brings back memories we don't want to talk about."

Iruna stared at him for a few seconds. Then her face relaxed into a smile. "Okay," she said.

"Thank you." Valkron took his hands off her face. "Now...what are we going to do? The New Year is tomorrow, and incidentally it's the Day of the Earth tomorrow, too. Is the War of Emperium going to be back on?"

"It's on as usual," said Aramithar, before anyone could answer, "but the Guild Liaison Office has decided to celebrate the New Year with a guild event."

"I have a feeling that it's going to be either a very stupid event, or a very odd event," said Valkron, giving him a look.

The alchemist put his hands up, as if to surrender to the knight. "I didn't suggest it, Valkron," he said, smiling apologetically. "All castles are to have defence and economy set to maximum."

There was a stunned silence.

Then someone at the back shouted, "What? Then what are we going to do for the entire session? No one's going to dare attack us, and we wouldn't dare attack them!"

Soon others were taking up the shouting. Valkron called out, in the hopes of stopping them, but the shouting drowned out his voice. He looked annoyed for a few minutes. Emeth, who was used to him by now, backed off.

"SHUT UP ALL OF YOU!"

The noise died down immediately.

"Thank you." Valkron coughed a little. "Stop making an old man like me shout at you for no reason. I've got better uses for my voice, just in case you don't know. Now, since we're probably not going to get attacked - and most likely not attacking anyone else - I want all of you to get ready for another year's worth of guild war. Get your equipment, do this, do that, all that jazz - and do it quick. We don't have time."

Everyone got up from their seats, muttering amongst themselves. As the troops dispersed, Valkron leaned down and whispered to Aramithar, "Are you serious about what you just said?"

"Do remember the Guild Liaison Office is in Al de Baran, too," replied the alchemist.

Valkron straightened up. "That settles it, then. We're just going to...hang around."

After a few minutes, he said, "I'm not going to just hang around. That's stupid."

"Now you know," said Khan.

The knight sighed and shook his head. "I don't know why you guys like to keep going at me. I'm going to go and take a break from all of you..."

"You know, sometimes giving him a bit of space is just the thing he's been looking for," remarked Emeth, watching him go. "Come on, stop sitting around. We're just having a break from clearing up Geffen, we're not done yet."

* * *

Vineis put the most recent edition of _The Prontera Standard_ down on the table in front of him.

"Quite the norm for the Prontera Press to sensationalise news," he said. "I'm sure, however, that Geffen is entirely capable on its own."

"The spells did break," pointed out David.

"Yes, but it doesn't necessarily mean the wizards of Geffen are failing to do their job." Vineis glanced at the paper. "I come from there, I should know how things are run there."

"So what's happening there now?" asked Reita.

"Apparently the Raulus is seeing to the cleaning up of Geffen. They are admirable, indeed." He took off his monocle and began to rub it with the velvet piece of cloth that was reserved for it. "Well, that aside, our first soiree of the year nearing. Let's see what Valkron does when he receives the invitation."

"Who will go with you, Vineis?" asked Lucius quietly. "You know that at least one of us must be around to ensure your safety."

"We'll see. I'm planning to set up defences for Luina and the Valkyrie Realms. David, I believe Rothenburg has some repairs seeing to."

"They've been completed," answered the blacksmith. "I brought enough material to complete the repairing over the thirteenth month."

"That's good news. Lucius, how is Skoegul? I hear some of our warriors were injured during the time of the Dark."

"They are fine. The casualties have gone home in peace, and they vow to return for our next War of Emperium session as soon as possible."

"Which does not count in tomorrow, I notice," said Vineis. "By the way, how is Kuroihi? I have not seen him for the past few days."

"He's dealing with matters in Neuschwanstein," answered Reita. "Remember you transferred him from Neuschwanstein to Kriemhild, on his request? He's finishing off anything that needs to be doing."

"Good man. Trust him to keep an eye on everything. David, Reita - I gather that you are moving down from Luina to keep an eye on things in Prontera?"

"Yes, we are," answered the blacksmith. "We have plenty to do in Prontera. Rothenburg and Wuerzburg are now safely secured. We will only be returning to Luina for guild war sessions."

Vineis nodded. "Thank you for confirming it with me. If you see Kuroihi, please tell him that I wish to see him in private."

"Oh, he's around," said Reita, in mild surprise. "He can see you now, if you like."

* * *

The wizard leaned against his desk. "How are you, Kuroihi? I heard about your condition from Reita, Lucius, David, Naobi and Sedir."

"I'm fine now, Vineis," answered the blindfolded knight, bowing his head slightly. "Our priests helped very much. I am grateful to them, and to you."

"Why?"

"For taking the time to see me."

Vineis smiled a little. "Kuroihi, of course I would come and see you. It's not a matter of whether I have the time or not. You are one of the closest members of the guild. It is fair that I should be concerned with your wellbeing."

"It is an honour, Vineis," replied the knight.

The wizard got off the desk. "I believe that everyone is still relaxed about their work. However, as a knight I know you are always busy in the Chivalry. The others have suggested that you stay more in the Chivalry than in here. For your safety."

"Yes, they've told me."

"And you've agreed to it?"

"Yes, I think they're right."

"Then that's settled." Vineis frowned a little. "Why would someone - or something - attack you?"

"I'm not...too sure," answered the knight. "We haven't come up with any idea on who attacked me that day. Although I would like to know. I did not manage to walk for a month and a half thanks to the injury."

"Revenge may be sweet, but don't take it as a norm," warned Vineis. "Naobi is already suffering from such a thing. I'm glad to say that he is growing off it, but somehow I wouldn't count my pickies before they hatch. Oh, and one last thing - I hope you find your lodgings in Kriemhild satisfactory."

"They are, Vineis," remarked the knight, smiling a little. "Thank you very much. Lucius informed me that you took the time to prepare it for me. I am honoured."

Vineis waved a hand at him. "There's no need to thank me, Kuroihi. You are a guild member. It should be my duty to see to you, as a reward for helping us so much during the guild war. You may go."

The knight bowed his head again, and left. Vineis closed his eyes, smiling fondly.

* * *

When Kuroihi had stepped out of the office and was heading down the corridor, a hand reached out from behind a pillar and grabbed him by the collar. He barely had time to shout; another hand clamped over his mouth and he was yanked into somewhere damp, by the feel of it.

Kuroihi struggled hard, trying to shout. Because of the hand over his mouth, he only managed to make 'mmff!' sounds, until someone hissed, "Shh!"

"It's us, Kuroihi," whispered Reita's voice. "David's holding you down. Sorry, but we've got to talk together."

The knight grudgingly followed them into another room. Gondul was filled with secret passages, unlike other castles - that was what made it so hard to take.

When he came into the room, he could feel the space around him widen, and open up. He sensed several people standing around the room.

"What is it now?" he said. "If it's something important, I might forgive you for setting David on me, Lucius."

"Of course it is important," replied the assassin calmly. "Otherwise I would not have made David tackle you as such. Sit."

Once all of them were seated, Lucius looked at Kuroihi and said, "What did Vineis tell you?"

"Just usual greetings, and questions of my wellbeing," said the knight, slightly irritably. "And for confirmation of my moving from Neuschwanstein to Kriemhild."

"Ah. It is a good thing he approved of it. He would have approved of Naobi moving down to Swanhild, but--"

"--I prefer Hohenschwangau to Swanhild," the monk finished for him, in his quiet, hissing voice.

"We need as much protection around Vineis as we can, Naobi," said Kuroihi, a little severely.

"Yes, but I do not see why I have to move." Naobi looked irritated as well. "I am already undergoing regular therapy down at the Prontera Gardens; why should I bother moving?"

"He's got a point, I grant you that," said David. "After all, Naobi does come down to the valkyrie Realms on a regular basis. Until this threat against Vineis is proven to be of a substantial form and identity, I don't see why Naobi has to stay around."

"Are you turning against our poor monk, now?" retorted Reita. "You make me want to dump you and go with Naobi instead. The poor man's seen so much death in his childhood, and you want him to stay alone? Shame on you!"

Lucius coughed in the embarrassing silence. "Naobi, however, does visit Gondul regularly. He makes it a point to drop in to greet Vineis. Considering that Vineis is the only person he does that to, that is quite something." He glared at a reddening David. "I am _sure_ we have agreed to letting Naobi keep to his usual schedule. After all...if there are any alterations to it, he may become a little...wild."

Naobi seemed to be giving him a look. Kuroihi was trying not to laugh.

"Sedir, are you _sure_ you can keep an eye on Vineis as well?" asked Lucius, turning to the priest.

"I'm sure I can," replied Sedir, raising an eyebrow in amusement. "I'd prefer not having to tag along behind you everywhere you go. Besides, you yourself are staying in Gondul more frequently these days."

"True," admitted Lucius.

"So that's settled?" asked David, getting to his feet. "I'm sorry, but I have orders to see to from the Blacksmiths' Guild. I have to leave."

"I'll accompany Naobi home, then," Reita told him, getting to her feet as well. "You know how much I hate that place."

David rolled his eyes. "Okay."

"Talking about work, I've got to go and see to my own job at the Chivalry," said Kuroihi.

Lucius nodded to the departing members. "We will see each other again. Next time we must discuss about Alya's protection as well. Well done."

* * *

Reita went to Hohenschwangau with Naobi. Most people found him unnerving, including David, but she had spent some time with him and realised that he was just very quiet. Naobi did not talk much, for a reason only the senior members of the Black Cross knew. If he had told the less senior members, no one would have considered him threatening anymore.

His green eyes were always blank. Whenever he spoke to someone his eyes would inadvertently move to a point above the person's left ear; this also worried the people he talked to. However, Reita knew that when he spoke to the people he knew the best, he would look straight into their eyes.

Before they parted at the doors of Hohenschwangau, Reita patted him on the shoulder. "See you, Naobi. Have a good time."

The monk looked at her. She smiled at his disquieting expression. "Yes?"

"Thank you," he said softly.

She watched him go, feeling relieved that Naobi, whatever that had happened to him before, was at peace with himself while he was with the Black Cross.

* * *

Just as Valkron had thought, no one attacked them the next day. They did not go out, either - some people took the opportunity to discuss and talk. Much later on Adiemus told him that there had been no activity at all in other regions.

"I wonder what was the whole point of today," remarked the knight, when the guild war session for that day was over.

"Maybe a move towards kingdom-wide peace," said Emeth, passing by with a pile of books in his arms. "We can never know the workings of the minds of the people up in the Guild Liaison Office."

Valkron rolled his eyes.

"So what about Bergel?" asked Eni.

"We'll be taking Bergel once this useless event is over," said the knight disgruntledly. "I've just about had enough putting up with the stupidity of people, whatever they think it is. After that, we need to aim for Payon."

"I still hope you're not going to go after Scarlet Palace," Iruna said, looking up from combing Niki-Haru's hair.

"Whatever for? I don't intend to do a Black Cross and take the last castle the Exodus Faction has," retorted Valkron. "I'm not heartless, you know!"

"You come pretty close to it, sometimes," said Nocturne. Everyone laughed while Valkron looked half-annoyed and half-amused.

"Really? Tell me when I do that, then--"

Emeth poked his head into the room. "Valkron, Blizzardriss is here."

The knight stopped leaning against the window immediately. "Right, I'm coming."

The wizard had his pointy hat back on. As usual, his fringe was covering his eyes. However, there was a large bandage on his face, where the gash had been. Valkron winced at the sight of it.

"It'll be fine, Valkron," he said.

"How'd you know I was going to ask you about it?"

"Because that's what everyone's been asking me the past few days." He pointed at Emeth. "Including him."

Valkron gave Emeth a look. The wizard grinned apologetically.

"But Emeth said that there'll be a scar--"

"Scarred for life is better than death," said the wizard cheerfully.

Valkron was taken aback. "Never heard of that before."

"'Course you haven't. But when you're in a situation like this, you think of things you've never heard before." Blizzardriss cleared his throat. "Anyway, I just came to say thank you for protecting me that night."

The knight shook his head. "We have this inbuilt instinct to protect. Must be part of our training. No need to thank us, either way. It's what we do."

Blizzardriss smiled. "Sometimes, Valkron, it helps to let people like you know that you're very much appreciated. Showing thanks is better than not showing it at all. Besides, it would make others feel better that you accept such thanks."

"He's got a point," Emeth commented.

Valkron gazed at the green-haired wizard for a while. Then he said, "I'm used to not receiving any thanks, to be truthful. Either way, it doesn't affect me. But since you mention it, you're welcome."

Blizzardriss smiled as Valkron returned to the room.

"Don't mind him," said Emeth. "He appreciates it. Just doesn't show it."

"I know," said Blizzardriss. "I know."

* * *

Naobi is the youngest adult of the whole fanfic, by the way. He's 22.

At the moment my current resources are down, so I won't be able to post anything (or even type, if the problem is not resolved). Therefore expect a small delay.

Thanks.

PS Incidentally, the maximum defence and economy thing is based on the actual event held this year as a New Year event in iRO.


	49. Back to Business

Chapter 49

**Back to Business**

Much to the relief of the members of the Raulus (and everyone else in the kingdom who were guilds that owned castles), the event lasted for one day. Once the two hours of agonisingly boring inactivity were over, Valkron got together the main body of the guild.

"We need to get Bergel as fast as we can," he said. It's not as large as Yesnelph, but its size is considerable, compared to Repherion, Eyorbriggar and Merseitzdeitz. This castle is also said to have the most number of guardians in Britoniah. We'll be seeing to that as well."

"Aw man, do I _still_ have to be a guardian destroyer?" groaned Emeth. "I'm getting sick of felling them. They're just lumbering idiots."

"I wouldn't dare say that in front of Aramithar there," remarked the knight.

"No, he's right," agreed the alchemist, much to the surprise of the others. "These giants are inadequate for their functions. They also have nothing significant to contribute to the defending of the castle. The Institute of Alchemy, however, has refused to build any more for the guilds. Currently the Guild Liaison Office is searching for another party who can agree to building better guardians, but until then...there's not much we can look forward to."

"Well, that's a surprise," said the knight, blinking. "Still...the large number of monsters in Bergel is a force to be dealt with. After all, Geffen's monsters are not something that can be taken lightly."

"But Bergel isn't as threatening as Yesnelph or any of the other castles as well, isn't it?" asked Nocturne, looking up from making arrows.

Valkron pulled out a large rolled-up scroll from the pile on the table in front of him and unravelled it.

"If Yesnelph is big, it's long," he said, amidst the gasps of shock around the room. "Although we won't be running along as much square feet, we iwill/i be dashing through yards of stone. Bergel is also structured to delay the invaders as much as they can be delayed, so I suggest we need the best runners in Bergel."

"Including peco users, I presume," said a nearby knight from Eyorbriggar's Heavy Arms.

"Of course. Crusaders and knights are the fastest because of the pecos." Valkron frowned. "Shows how much we have to depend on those great big birds. Anyway, we'll have to get down to it as fast as possible."

"What if other people target Bergel as well?" asked a blacksmith from Merseitzdeitz.

"Then we're going to make sure that they don't get to the emperium first," answered the knight. "I'm not going to have another Yesnelph incident again. Also, I intend to take the whole region of Britoniah by next week."

"How are you going to make sure that no one 's planning to attack Bergel, or any of the three agits here, Valkron?" asked Emeth. "It's not like we have eyes all over the place."

Valkron smiled. "That's exactly what I'm doing, Emeth."

"What?"

"Spies." The knight grinned at the wizard's expression. "Adiemus told me that they're an essential element to any guild, as much as defensive and offensive troops are. I've sent out spies to all the big guilds who actually do have a castle, as well as spot out the word on the street. Raven agreed to let a few rogues help out."

"Interesting," commented Emeth, while the others watched both of them. "And what have you gathered so far?"

The knight reached out and picked up a few folders on his desk. "By the looks of it, Emeth, the Legionnaires are not going to attack us again for a long time. I thank you for that."

"No problem."

"The Seven Eyes has no intention of attacking us - I think the Fire of Heaven alliance has its uses as well. The intentions of the Black Cross are unknown to us as of now. And of course, the Exodus Faction and the Defenders of Prontera are not going to attack."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because I trust my friends. And this means that by telling you all this," he shot a look at the commanders of the respective troops standing nearby, "I trust you as well."

The commanders nodded. From their faces, they knew.

"What about Apocalypse Ultima?" asked Iruna. "Haven't you noticed that they've gone quiet? It's as if they're not interested in taking an agit."

"Or they could be pretending," said Valkron. "Well, at the moment Apocalypse Ultima is not on the move. That's all we can tell. They're happier to defend their economy and their agit for the time being."

"Sounds suspicious to me," said Nocturne.

"I know, I know. But incidentally I've heard their leader is busy with other matters. Talking about other matters," Valkron pushed aside a few scrolls and pulled out an envelope, "_why_ are we invited to something I don't even know?"

Emeth took the letter from him - it was easy for him, as he was so tall he could reach whatever Valkron was holding. "Hmm...oh, I've heard of this," he said, scanning the letter while the knight gave him an irritated look. "All the guilds with at least a hundred and fifty members are invited to go."

"Whatever for?"

"It's something like...you meet the King, and other guild leaders." Emeth slipped the letter back into its envelope. "Although the tension would be so thick that you could cut it in half when you're there."

"Exactly, that's why I asked whatever for." Valkron took the letter back from the wizard. "Now, will you stop grabbing things out of my hand? I know you're tall, but you have limits."

"Sorry," said the wizard, standing to attention. The knight glared at his wide grin before turning back to the others.

"As I've said, we have to make preparations. After Britoniah I think we should expand a little, in order to gain more economy to support our ever-growing guild."

People began to whisper between themselves. Amidst the mutterings, Iruna asked, "Where?"

Valkron rubbed the tip of his nose thoughtfully. "Luina, most likely."

At this people gasped or exclaimed in shock. The old guild members weren't unnerved either.

"But that's--!"

"It's only where the Black Cross' extensions and the Seven Eyes are," said the knight. "I'm not crazy as to take on the Black Cross on my own, but I think Luina would be all right. Unless I'm mistaken and the Black Cross sends reinforcements. _Then_ I'll be in hot water."

"Up to your eyeballs, too," muttered Emeth. Valkron sighed.

"We'll see," said Iruna evenly, much to the surprise of the others. "Personally I think it's time we expanded."

"Iruna? You turning into a Valkron too?" asked Samaroh.

"What? Of course not! The other guilds intend to bully us." Iruna huffed. "I refuse to allow this guild to be pushed around! That's my personal opinion."

"Sometimes there are times when I know why I love you," said the knight, over the laughter of the others.

"Sometimes there are times when _I_ know you're just being a big suck-up," retorted the crusader, grinning.

As Valkron waved off her retort, Emeth said, "I'll be looking forward to the charging in, whether or not we're getting bullied by other guilds. Victory would feel so good then."

"You couldn't have put it better," said Valkron, grinning.

* * *

Time often flies when you're just not noticing it. Valkron observed this when he realised what had appeared to be several hours had been, in fact, four days.

But he wasn't worried. The preparations had been completed so well that Valkron had devised another plan that was to be carried out at the same time as the taking of Bergel. Half of Shen's Heavy Arms and Rangers were now temporarily stationed at Yesnelph, keeping an eye over the other warp point that allowed people to enter the area of Britoniah.

He had also met Shen over the four days that had passed, and they had gone into deep discussion about his second plan. Finally, they had come to a decision that with combined forces Valkron could certainly succeed at what he intended.

"You are suspicious," said Samaroh, after Valkron had seen off Shen with a big smile on his face.

"Why is that so?"

"When you smile like that, I _know_ you've got something up your sleeve."

"Appreciate it that you can predict what your old leader is up to," replied Valkron, still with the smile on his face. "But I won't tell you until Woden's Day."

"You _are_ suspicious at times, huh?" Samaroh watched him go. "If it involves anything that might lead to certain death, I'm not going."

"Too bad, Samaroh. You're always in situations that involve certain death. That nullifies your statement."

Because priests were forbidden to swear and therefore unable to vent their frustration in the most direct way possible, Samaroh was in a bad mood for the rest of the day. Later on he disappeared to meditate his anger off.

As the days to Woden's Day passed, Valkron's guild members - including Iruna - gradually got more and more suspicious.

"I swear he's planning something behind our backs," said Nocturne grumpily, one day when the knight had gone to see to his peco. "Something bigger than Baphomet or Bamboo Grove Hill."

"You've got to credit his ability to keep things from us," pointed out Emeth. "Besides, he probably doesn't want us to crowd him like we did the last two times. Most likely he's sick of it."

"Not you, too," said the hunter.

"But it's not his nature to keep information from us until the day itself," remarked Iruna. "He knows it isn't fair."

"Well, apparently he's ignoring that rule this time," said Samaroh. He was playing chess with Nocturne again. "Noc, keep an eye on your bishop. I'm sure you know my knight's standing near it."

"The decision to tell us what he's up to is up to the old geezer," said Emeth, unrolling scrolls and scanning them before rolling them up again.

He looked up in the silence. "What? What are all the funny looks for?"

"He allows you to call him that?" asked Iruna, in a disbelieving tone.

"Well, yeah. He calls himself that, anyway."

"Names people call themselves might not be usable by others," said Samaroh, who was staring at Emeth and thus completely missed the fact that Nocturne used his bishop to take a rook.

"We'll see," replied the wizard calmly, above the shouting from the chess table. "We'll see."

Iruna shook her head. "I don't know why he's not telling me, either. He usually does."

"Maybe this time he doesn't want you to worry about him," said Kushana, looking up from her new bow. Her old one had broken before the twelfth month.

"Yes, but still." Iruna looked slightly distraught. "I don't know what's going on with him. He seems to be keeping things from us these days--"

"Hello, everyone, how are things--" Valkron stopped. "Why is there this silence that tells me somehow that you've been talking about me behind my back?"

"Really? You must be imagining things," said Emeth, not looking up from his scrolls.

"Yeah, I must be." The knight closed the door behind him, while the others tried to sigh in relief without letting him notice. "Anyway, I think we're pretty much ready."

"When are you going to tell us what you're going to do tomorrow?" asked Nocturne, looking up from the chess table.

"Tomorrow."

"Why not today?"

"Because I don't want to do it today."

"But we have a right to know."

"Yeah, you do. I'm just delaying it."

"You always tell us on the day before."

Valkron looked at Nocturne. Nocturne looked back at Valkron. Everyone had fallen silent.

Finally the knight said, "It's different this time."

"How different?"

"Very different."

"How so? And I won't stop asking questions until you tell us."

Again there was that staring match. Then Valkron said, "There's a reason why you don't need to know at the moment."

"Why?"

"Because I'm not sure if it can be carried out or not tomorrow."

"Then why plan it now?"

"I'm taking precautions."

"But if you've planned it out before this, you would already have been confident about it. Like Baphomet and Bamboo Grove Hill."

"I was never confident during those times. Incidentally, will you all stop mentioning the Baphomet thing? That was just pure luck. I could have died if the old goat hadn't been merciful."

"But you did the same with Bamboo Grove Hill."

"You think I was confident of it?"

"Well, yeah, pretty much."

"Yeah right. I'm not confident of much."

"It still doesn't mean you can hide it from us. We might give you the support you need."

"That's exactly the case, Nocturne. _Might_. That's not a word I was looking forward to."

"You know we're your guild. What makes you think you can't trust us?"

"Look, Nocturne," said Emeth patiently, looking up from his work, "if Valkron won't tell, he won't tell. How many times do I have to drill it into your thick, stubborn skull? Do you want me to personally go over there and hammer you over the head with my staff? Now, stow the questioning. A man can't hear himself think with all this ruckus, for goodness' sake. And also, I usually notice that we all pile in on him _before_ we give him the support he needs. Helpful, eh?"

"Thank you, Emeth," said Valkron, as Nocturne subsided.

"I don't need the thanks, I just want some peace. Now get out of here before they crowd you with the same stupid question, old geezer."

You could have heard a _flea_ drop in the silence.

"Sometimes I think you're the best second-in-command in the kingdom, and you won't get any higher praise from me for that," said Valkron, after a while. Much to the shock of everyone, he was smiling fondly at the wizard. "That's what I'm thanking you for."

When he had gone, Samaroh said, "Okay, what happened when we weren't looking?"

"Someone came and shoved blue gemstones into your ears," answered the wizard curtly.

"He's changed," said Iruna. "A lot. I doubt he'd let anyone call him old geezer back then."

"You know, we newcomers don't know a thing about him," Nalini pointed out, "but from the way all of you are staring after him, and the way you compare his past and present behaviour gives us a pretty good idea."

"Believe me, he can give a pretty good idea of anything about him at any time," remarked Samaroh.

Emeth looked up from his work irritably. "Is it me or what? How many times do I have to tell all of you to shut up?"

After that no one spoke again, but Nocturne nearly lost an ear after he let out an abrupt exclamation that shocked the wizard. Although Samaroh had lost all his pieces by Nocturne's hands, the game had ended in an unexpected checkmate by Samaroh's last piece - the knight that had been near Nocturne's bishop earlier.

* * *

The next day dawned bright and clear. All the troops had assembled near Bergel. The Rangers from Bamboo Grove Hill had confirmed that no one had tried to invade the castle beforehand. Now a formidable force stood in front of Bergel's gates, ready to take it on.

Valkron, on the other hand, had requested the main body of the Raulus to do something else.

"Why are we staying in Repherion?" asked Iruna. The knight had gone to get their pecos, and they were seizing this as the chance to talk behind his back even more.

"No idea," said Samaroh.

"I wasn't addressing you."

"Well, you looked at me. Easy for me to assume that you were asking me."

"I wasn't, okay? Stow it."

"Emeth?" asked Kushana, looking up at the wizard. "Do you know anything?"

Everyone looked at him. This was because they knew that earlier on that day, Valkron had taken him aside and spoken to him. He had been surprisingly quiet after that.

The wizard shook his head. "Sorry. Can't tell."

There were "Awws" and outraged "Heys" everywhere, but the wizard maintained his silence.

Eventually the knight returned, leading his and Iruna's pecos. "Right, are we all ready?"

"No," said Nocturne, folding his arms across his chest.

Everyone looked at him, even Valkron. The knight had an expression of surprise on his face.

"Why?"

"Tell us where we're going, or we won't go."

Valkron coughed. "I'm afraid, Nocturne, that you'll be going whether you want it or not."

"Make me!"

The knight nodded at Hlin, who was standing nearby. "You heard him."

The Kafra summoned a warp. The main body of the Raulus vanished in the whirling blue-white light, with a last "Damn!" from Nocturne.

When the light had disappeared, there was an uproar. This time Valkron stayed well away from everyone.

"Right, which one are we targeting now?" asked Iruna, over the din. Silence fell immediately.

"Let's have some revenge," said the knight, smiling the sinister smile. "We're going after Sacred Palace."

* * *

The Legionnaires were shocked when the Raulus broke down the gates. Later on, one Legionnaire member described the ferocity of the Raulus as they attacked the bigger guild.

"I can't believe it," he said. "The Raulus only had a force of a hundred and fifty with them, including a small section from the Right Wing of the Phoenix. Half of our number took us on."

Far too much action took place to be described, but the battle lasted two hours. The Legionnaires, reputed to have diamond-tipped determination and nerves of steel, had their resolve shattered by the newer guild. As a last resort they did what was known as an 'emperium hug' - gathering around the crystal in order to protect it.

Ten seconds before the horns sounded, Valkron had broken through the defences and shattered the crystal.

* * *

"Next time, Valkron," said Emeth, in between spoons of honey from a pot, "tell us when you're going to do another 'away' battle."

They were all sitting on the steps of Sacred Palace, basking in the sunset as the defeated Legionnaires made their way out of Greenwood Lake. News had spread fast, and even the Black Cross was avoiding them today.

"Why should I?" asked the knight cheerfully. "Variety is the spice of life."

"For you it is. More like torment for us."

"Oh, don't be a killjoy. Admit it. You all liked it."

"How long did it take you to plan all this?" asked Iruna, who had been wearing an expression of shock for two hours straight.

"Since the beginning of the twelfth month."

There was silence. Then Samaroh got to his feet. "All right, time to do what _we_ planned! We only took a few days to decide how to do it."

"What?" asked Valkron, looking bewildered.

"Yeah, it's our turn now!" Nocturne got up. So did quite a few people - notably from the original Raulus party.

"What? What's going on?"

Emeth put down his honey pot, sighing. "Valkron, I'm so sorry. But I agreed to do this. Anyway, you were getting on my nerves, too."

"Okay, now I'm convinced you're all mad," said the knight, staring at them.

"Who's more mad, us or you?" asked Samaroh, giving him a look.

"Well, I might be a bit cracked from time to time, but--"

"You heard him," said the priest, turning to the rest and nodding.

A few minutes later, Adiemus and Raven, who had come to congratulate the Raulus, nearly fell apart with laughter upon witnessing Valkron underneath the seven original members of the Raulus party. As Iruna said later on, "The idea started with taking turns to sit on him. After that, it got a bit...out of hand."

In response, Valkron had said, "Out of hand, my foot." Considering that he had said this under the full weight of his friends, this was pretty impressive.

But the one thing that everyone had felt that day (apart from feeling flat, in the case of Valkron) was that somehow the bonds of friendship that had formed the day they met five months ago had become stronger than ever.

* * *

Vineis buried his face in his hands.

"How did the Raulus do it?" asked Sheuth, clearly in frantic shock. "They took Bergel _and_ Sacred Palace in one day! And the Guardians of Geffen tried to make a move on them as well! They still have all the agits they've claimed!"

"I fear for our troops in Greenwood Lake," said the wizard, half-muffled by his hands.

"Not just that! The Seven Eyes is in danger! And Valkron's showing us how capable he can be right now! If he makes a move on Luina or even the Valkyrie Realms--!"

"I doubt someone as shrewd as him is going to try for the Valkyrie Realms the way he took Sacred Palace," said Vineis.

"But at this rate he dares to do anything!" Sheuth was shouting by now. "The Black Cross is in serious danger, and so is the kingdom!"

"Sheuth, wait--"

"I can't believe such an old man like him would be so daring!"

"You forgot who you're dealing with, Sheuth--"

"And he's just a mercenary! This isn't how it's supposed to go!"

"Sheuth, will you--"

"We have to mobilise our troops now! Set up defences! The Raulus is going too far--"

"SHEUTH!" bellowed Vineis.

The rogue returned to his senses. "What?"

"Sit down." The wizard had not moved an inch from his desk.

Sheuth blinked, and then sat down obediently.

"We have nothing to worry about at the moment," said Vineis. "Although Valkron is displaying an exceptionable level of adaptability, he still has a long way to go. Besides, he's only in Greenwood Lake."

"Only? The next thing he'll be up in Luina--"

"Listen, Sheuth." Vineis sat back in his chair. "He hasn't met the real forces of the kingdom's best guilds yet. Why do you think he targeted Sacred Palace, not Bright Arbor or Holy Shadow? This is something worth thinking about, since we all know Adiemus is a close friend of his. Don't you think it's a little strange that he didn't help the Exodus Faction reclaim Holy Shadow, or aid Apocalypse Ultima in reclaiming Bright Arbor? Instead, he chose to have revenge on the Legionnaires, who attacked his guild while he was away in Bamboo Grove Hill."

Sheuth kept silent this time.

Vineis sighed. "He may be a mercenary, but mercenaries are exceptional in strategies. Valkron is no less capable. We will see his moves in the future."

"Still..."

"Yes, there's a still. I know." The wizard pushed back his monocle along his nose. "That's exactly why they're not going to be prepared for the present I am about to give them during the next War of Emperium session."

* * *

Update of the list of agits and occupants from Chapter 19.

In Britoniah (Geffen),

1) Repherion

2) Eyorbriggar

3) Yesnelph

4) Bergel

5) Merseitzdeitz

All are currently occupied by the Raulus.

In the Valkyrie Realms (Prontera),

1) Kriemhild

2) Swanhild

3) Fadhgrindh

4) Skoegul

5) Gondul

All are currently occupied by the Black Cross.

In Luina (Al de Baran),

1) Neuschwanstein

2) Hohenschwangau (still bloody mouthful IMO)

3) Nuernberg (Seven Eyes extension)

4) Wuerzburg

5) Rothenburg

All are currently occupied by the Black Cross, except for Nuernberg. Vineis gave Nuernberg to Alya.

In Greenwood Lake (Payon),

1) Bright Arbor (taken from Apocalypse Ultima, currently occupied by Seven Eyes)

2) Sacred Palace (currently occupied by the Raulus)

3) Holy Shadow (taken from the Exodus Faction, currently occupied by the Black Cross)

4) Scarlet Palace (currently occupied by the Exodus Faction)

5) Bamboo Grove Hill (currently occupied by the Raulus)

I should have called this chapter 'The Madness of Valkron'. XD

This chapter was inspired by Gekidou, sung by UVERworld. It is the fourth opening song of D.Gray-man.


	50. The Repherion Alliance

WOOHOO I HAVE REACHED CHAPTER 50!! And me? Take a break before a story is finished? NEVAH!! XD

Chapter 50  
**The Repherion Alliance**

"Congratulations, Valkron," said Adiemus. "I never imagined you'd actually try to take on the Legionnaires with a few troops from the Raulus and a small section from the Right Wing of the Phoenix."

"Mm," said Valkron.

"I admire you, Valkron, I really do." The crusader, who was not wearing his armour, leaned forward to look at the knight's face. "And you doing that at your age, too."

"Mm."

"Sometimes I wish I had as much spirit as you." Adiemus sighed. "Alas, I can never bring myself to fight back and reclaim Holy Shadow, even though the Black Cross extension in Greenwood Lake isn't even that strong. I feel like a coward."

"Mm."

"What's up with you, Valkron?" asked Raven. "You don't seem to be in a celebratory mood at all, although this is something worth celebrating."

Valkron sighed. "I have this feeling things are just starting. The guilds all know I'm in a competitive mood right now, and that I'm taking an offensive stance against all of them. Either they see me as a threat, or they see me as a friend. I don't know who sees me as which, so I'm not exactly wanting to deal with anything at the moment."

"Relax, Valkron," said Raven, getting off the doorframe. He went over to the knight and patted him on the back. "You're a good man. I bet the guilds want you to be on their side. They're starting to see you as an equivalent to the Black Cross, except with a better heart."

"Why do you make it sound like Vineis is a cruel, ruthless, merciless leader?" asked the knight. "I'm sure he takes care of his guild members like we do, and he does care for the running of the kingdom."

"Yes, but you're the only one who's fighting for the world in order to protect the kingdom," Adiemus pointed out. "And because you're a guild leader you're spreading that principle through your entire guild as well."

"I never said I was doing it."

"They're picking it up."

"They can choose to drop it whenever they want, Adiemus. I'm not forcing it on them. It's my own rule, and therefore I should just keep it to myself."

"Wait, what rule is this?" asked Raven, raising an eyebrow.

Valkron did not answer. Adiemus nudged him a little. "Go on."

"To fight for the world in order to protect the kingdom and the people," said the knight dully.

Raven frowned. "Wait, isn't that...the same principle of a warrior of the world?"

"Yes."

"But you'll get into trouble for even following the principle--"

"I'm not following it, Raven." Valkron glanced at him. "I consider myself one."

Raven looked aghast. "You're going to be in hot soup if they find out."

Exactly, Raven. _If_. Now shut up and leave me alone. I'm not in a good mood."

Iruna sighed. She had been making tea for them, and listening to the conversation at the same time. As she put the tray down on the table, she said, "You could do him a favour and let him be. He's been like this ever since he felt whatever it was. I'm sure it wasn't because we piled on him in an attempt to hold him down to earth."

"I still find that concept hilarious," said Raven.

Valkron huffed.

"All right, no more talking about that or being a warrior of the world. Have some tea, and enjoy the peace. The war may not be over, but we still need to take a break in between."

They drank in silence, including Valkron.

After a while, Raven said, "So where are you targeting next?"

Valkron shrugged. "I don't feel like doing anything major this weekend. I think I'll just stay here and defend Britoniah from any enthusiastic guilds that want to take our agits."

"Sounds like you're seriously drained of fighting spirit," said Adiemus. "Are you tired?"

"Somewhat."

Iruna patted him on the shoulder. "Go and sleep. I know you don't like hanging around and doing nothing, but sleep will rejuvenate you."

"I still have work to do--"

"Just _go_."

When he had gone, Adiemus said, "You're a bit of a mother to him, aren't you?"

"Well, I guess he needs it," replied Iruna, while Raven chuckled in the background. "Besides, deducing from what he told me before, he didn't have a mother for long when he was a child. Maybe he feels happier when I order him around."

"That's a disturbing image," remarked the rogue.

Adiemus smiled. "You love him, that's all it matters."

Iruna looked at him. Apart from Raven and Valkron, she was the only one who knew what the old crusader had been through in his life. _Sometime_s, she thought, _life should not be so hard on those who have done nothing wrong._

"How's Alya these days?" she asked.

"Oh, she's fine. She invited Vineis to have dinner with me."

"Hey, why didn't you tell me that?" asked Raven in shock.

"Because I knew you'd go all out on him, and I didn't want a rogue bursting in on us and ranting about Vineis," answered Adiemus, looking up at him. "You're one of a kind."

"How did it go?"

"If Vineis could stop pretending to be an aristocrat, I'd be happier with him. You don't have to be an aristocrat _and_ a guild leader."

"_You_ are," Raven pointed out.

"I'm a special case. People like you and Valkron are completely capable of being guild leaders without being of noble blood. Either Vineis is like that, or he just wants to try and satisfy me."

"You could talk to him," suggested Iruna. "Take him aside and tell him what you want of him."

Adiemus frowned. "I could have done that...if he wasn't so worrying. The way he looks at everything...it's like things we value aren't of any worth to him. I know everyone has their different points of view," he added, seeing Iruna open her mouth, "but he seems so...detached from the human world. He seeks something we don't understand."

"Are you going to try working it out?"

"No, and not any time soon, either. I'd rather leave him alone." Adiemus paused, and then continued, "Is there anything we can do to help Valkron? Let's not talk about Vineis."

"No," answered Iruna. "He's fine on his own. Whatever will happen, will happen. It's not up to me to stop him or tell him he's imagining things. He's old, but he doesn't want to think he is."

"Which probably explains the fighting spirit he has," said Raven thoughtfully.

"We'll never know, Raven." Iruna put her cup back in its saucer. "We don't understand him. There's one problem with him. We've all opened up to him - it's just that he hasn't opened up to us yet."

"I have a feeling he will," said Adiemus, smiling gently. "It's not something you can question. I just know he will."

* * *

Vineis surveyed the three people standing in front of him. His eyes scanned one, and then the other, as if checking for something.

Eventually, he said, "I sense that you are ready for what I am going to go over with you today."

"We definitely are," said one of them. They were all silhouettes in the room. Only they knew who each other was.

"This is only a test. I just want to know what will happen." Vineis cleared his throat. "I'm still making observations, as you know, and I think that it is time I did something with it. It has stayed passive for too long."

"Won't they be expecting us?" asked the second silhouette.

"I doubt they will. At such an early stage? No, they'll probably think I'd target another bigger guild...but I've always wanted to do this." His monocle gleamed.

"If we fail...?"

"As I said, this is just a test." Vineis looked at the third person. "What do you say?"

They looked at third silhouette. At length, it answered, "I am fine with it."

* * *

Valkron did not really look forward to the weekend, but when the Day of the Earth dawned he was about and running around, making sure if everything was fine.

"You've got to credit his large amount of energy," said Emeth to Iruna, watching him. "For such an old man like him. And he recovered so quickly from Samaroh's operation, too."

"He's like that," said Iruna in reply. "And stop calling him old. You're making me feel like I'm doing something wrong by hooking up with some old geezer. Come on."

"That's not some old geezer I'm talking about," explained the wizard. "That's Valkron. There's a big difference, y'know."

"Why are you both talking about me?" asked Valkron, from behind them. Emeth yelped and shot off.

"Oh, come on. Good gossip is healthy." Iruna turned around to face him. "We were just talking about how you can actually manage to do all this, considering your age. You're thirty-nine, after all."

"I just want to get things done-- Hey, how did you know my age?"

"Because I went to the Chivalry and looked you up in the records." Iruna smiled sunnily.

"Whatever for? Am I that interesting?"

"Of course you are! We should learn to know more about each other!"

After staring at her for some time, Valkron said, "I doubt I'll ever understand women."

"Word of advice: don't try." Iruna put her arm around his waist. "Well, we've got two hours before the War of Emperium begins. How about a little walk on the battlements?"

Valkron thought over this, and then said, "Why not?"

Spring was wonderful, in the kingdom. Once the snow had gone, the bitter, cold winds were replaced by breezes that got warmer and warmer as the season progressed. The birds returned from the south and always filled the mornings and evenings with song. Valkron spent a happy time standing with Iruna on the battlements, surveying the green landscape that was Geffen. Not far from Geffen was the border for the kingdom, and beyond he could see a desert. No one knew what that desert was, but for now who cared?

Whenever they were together, they rarely, if ever, talked. Somehow they both felt that words weren't needed to convey their feelings for each other. Iruna always snuggled up to him, and Valkron, in response to the overpowering urge to protect her, would wrap his arms around her and feel her chest lightly pressing against his as she breathed. Her warmth was wonderful, and he felt relaxed every time he held her.

However, this happy state was not to last for long. Nocturne came running up to the battlements, leaping up the staircase three steps at a time. He nearly collapsed at the top, but managed to regain his balance.

"Valkron!"

Valkron and Iruna broke apart, and turned just as the hunter reached them. He was out of breath, but he forced himself to speak.

"Valkron - three - guild leaders downstairs - want to speak - to you--"

"What?" asked the knight. "Who?"

Nocturne shrugged, panting heavily.

"All right, I'll go." He looked at Iruna. "Coming?"

"Definitely."

The knight went down to the ground floor, and exited from the castle with Iruna. He was surprised to see Adiemus and Raven standing near the gates. Standing a considerable distance away from them was someone else, with his back to them.

"What is it?" asked Valkron, once he had reached them.

"We're here for your protection, really," said Raven, in a low voice. "Someone's come to test you."

"Who?"

"Your guess, Valkron," said Adiemus.

"I don't know who wants to come and test me now. And I'm not in a good mood today, so testing is out of the question."

"When he wants to test someone, he will test someone." Raven jerked a thumb over his shoulder at the other person. "I don't know why he made such an abrupt decision. he just announced to us today that he wanted to see you, and assess your capabilities."

"I don't know who he is, and I'm not going to waste my time with a small guild--"

"Valkron," said Adiemus slowly, "his guild is not small."

Valkron looked at the man again, and this time his jaw slowly fell open.

Raven had gone to get him, in the meantime. He was now walking back to where Adiemus and Valkron were, with the rogue. The knight suddenly realised he could recognise the newcomer, and with every step the man took that brought him closer to Valkron, the identity of the man became clearer and clearer to Valkron.

But he had never felt more shocked in his life. He felt like backing away, and wished fervently for the earth to swallow him up then and there, but he couldn't move. It was as if he was rooted to the ground.

Raven walked off just as the man reached Valkron, and moved away from them with Adiemus. Valkron felt completely alone now. Standing in front of the man was already unnerving him. He wondered how much longer he was able to stand there before he ran off in fear.

"Hello, Valkron," said the man calmly.

Valkron inclined his head a little; his lips felt as if they had been glued together. His eyes took in everything - the long white hair, the peaceful violet eyes, the priest robes, the very large, black bible he carried under one arm...

"I believe you know who I am," said the priest.

"I don't know your name, but I do know you're the leader of Apocalypse Ultima," said Valkron, hoping that his voice would not betray his nervousness.

"I can see you are quite anxious of me," said the priest. There was a pleasant expression on his face, and it stayed that way as he offered his hand to Valkron. "I am pleased to meet you."

"Can't say the same for me, but to hell with it." The knight shook hands with the priest.

"I imagined you'd say that. Yes, I am the leader of Apocalypse Ultima. My name is Selvatinius. I cannot express to you how long I have yearned to meet you face to face and witness for myself the heavily rumoured, fear-instilling death knight who leads the Raulus."

"Believe me...Selvatinius...I'm not as wonderful as people make me out to be."

"I thought that too. You can call me Selva, if you find the name too long to remember." Selvatinius smiled.

Valkron had heard from Samaroh that as priests became more and more integrated into the Church, they grew to become completely placid to the world. A highly advanced priest would constantly be in a state of calmness, and someone who would _never_ lose his temper. They were highly prized as guild and party members, since they were able to keep their heads in any given situation.

And Valkron knew he was looking at one now. Even as he stood near Selvatinius, he could feel the aura of a warrior who had achieved the highest level of fighting possible, and he knew now why Apocalypse Ultima was so feared - even by the Black Cross.

"And how are you intending to test me, Selvatinius?" he said. "I don't call people by their foreshortened names until I get to know them better."

Selvatinius threw back his head and laughed. Bewildered as he was, Valkron suddenly realised that _the priest had already started testing him_.

"Well, I'd like to see how your guild is coordinated," he replied coolly. "It does no good for a guild to not cooperate and work as if everyone is at loggerheads with each other. Don't worry, Valkron - Adiemus and Raven are here to help you if you make a mistake."

"This sounds like a tradition," said the knight cautiously.

"Well spotted, Valkron! It _is_ a tradition. Any guild that wishes to contend at our level must be able to pass any test I place upon them!" The priest looked as if he was enjoying himself. "And there are a number of tests to undergo, I think you can tell."

"Yes. It's very confirmed by now." Valkron felt as if he was being cornered.

"Be calm. It's just a test. You lose nothing if you fail it - well, except your dignity."

"That's even worse than losing my reputation!"

"Sacrifices have to be made, I'm afraid." Selvatinius' smile didn't convince Valkron.

"Valkron," called out Raven, "it's almost two."

The knight massaged his forehead. This was not something he had expected for this session.

_But then again, isn't it the guild leader's responsibility to adapt to anything that comes along, regardless of its nature?_ said a voice in his head.

He turned to the priest. "So how are you going to test me on guild member coordination?"

"You'll see," replied Selvatinius, turning and walking away, still with the pleasant smile on his face.

Valkron shook his head and went over to where Raven and Adiemus were standing.

"Bit of an unnerving person, isn't he?" said Raven. "You'd better get your defences up and ready, Valkron."

"If you haven't noticed, they _are_ already up and ready," snapped Valkron. The meeting with Selvatinius had made him grumpy.

"You're ready for any small guild, Valkron. That's what you know." Adiemus patted him on the shoulder. "What you aren't ready for is Apocalypse Ultima."

"Why do I have to go through this test?"

"S'called the Guild Barricade," said Raven. "The guild that passes the test essentially breaks the 'glass ceiling' as we call it. We haven't had any guild passing it recently, due to its difficulty."

"Okay, give me the lowdown on AU."

No matter how much they explained to it, the image Valkron had in mind was of a great glacier with a face like a ship's hull - except sharper and a lot more solid. Apocalypse Ultima, like the glacier, was large, cool, and very, very stolid. Anyone slamming into them would be trying to stop a river breaking through a dam with their bare hands.

The warriors were mercenaries who had never lost their heads during battle. If the Black Cross was the sledgehammer that crushed enemies, they were the sword that sliced through cleanly. They were the kingdom's best strategists and manipulators, all united under one flag that had risen slowly and, over time, became the most difficult guild ever to oppose.

"They change tactics every now and then, and those tactics are often new and original," explained Raven. "Before the Seven Eyes pulled Bright Arbor from their grasp, Apocalypse Ultima was known to allow warriors into the guild right up till the third floor, and then suddenly slam them back out. I don't know how many guilds disbanded because of their discouraging strength."

Valkron listened carefully. At the end, he said, "Is he going to do the same to me?"

"Do what?"

"Diversionary tactics, before pulling off a major offensive in the last minute."

Raven shrugged. "We don't know. The test is different for every guild."

"You must also know him very well to call him by his shortened name," said the knight.

To his surprise, Adiemus laughed. "We knew each other ever since we became mercenaries, Valkron. If Sedir is the priest who instils respect because of his magic, Selva is the priest who instils respect by silence alone. He is one of the young prodigies of the kingdom, but he doesn't show it. However, I'd advise you to watch your back. Selva has different faces to him. One minute he can be calm and peaceful, the next extremely ferocious."

"The only problem is that you can't tell because his expression never changes," said Valkron carefully.

"You've put your finger on the one black spot, yes."

"Right."

Valkron hurried off and got the others together. There was not a closed mouth in sight after he had finished speaking.

"How can he do this to you?" Iruna demanded. "We've only been a guild for five months!"

"Apparently any guild that has become an official contender of the King's mercenary guilds is qualified for the test," said Valkron, shrugging. "But he's got a point. If a guild can make itself look as if it's got potential, then the guild should be able to take the pressure of the bigger guilds that have already been established a long time ago."

"We're new to the business, though," Emeth pointed out.

"That's exactly it. Adaptibility. What if the Black Cross attacks us with full force one day? Who's going to help us?" Valkron lowered his voice. "If it helps, think of this as a practice run."

"Valkron! This is not a game!" exclaimed Iruna.

"Yes, it is." The knight pulled himself up. "And if I can't play it, I shouldn't be here at all."

Iruna looked devastated at this, but the others were nodding their heads. Valkron knew it was time. He had to prove himself.

Emeth looked at his watch. "All right, it's twenty to."

"All right." Valkron turned to face the waiting troops of Repherion. "All divisions to your respective posts! Arm and prepare! We've got a major force!"

There was muttering from the troops, but they dispersed accordingly. Valkron nodded at his Repherion-based troops, who quickly scattered.

There was silence for some time. Adiemus and Raven had brought a small number of troops from their respective guilds. According to the rules of the test, two of any of the big guilds could help, but with a certain number of people only.

Valkron wondered how many guilds had tried to break the Guild Barricade before this. Apocalypse Ultima had been the oldest guild - even older than the Exodus Faction, Defenders of Prontera or the Black Cross.

Suddenly they heard the blare of the great horns. In Valkron's ears, they went for much longer. He felt the sound reverberate through his bones.

It was time.

Repherion was silent. No one spoke at all. Everyone kept watch, whether they were on the battlements or on the ground.

Then suddenly there was a flash of light from high up. Valkron saw it from the corner of his eye, and spun around.

It was coming from Yesnelph. Khan had, with Valkron's consent, installed the mirror signalling system recently, and it had taken very little time for the watchers to be trained. As the knight watched, the light flashing was--

He whirled around. "Repherion!" he bellowed; the name boomed impressively around the area. "All away troops to Yesnelph!"

Immediately the respective troops moved. Valkron watched as they went swiftly through the gates. On the other side, Merseitzdeitz had received the signal and were deploying their own away troops. He was sure that Albrecht, on Eyorbriggar, was doing the same.

He ran upstairs to the battlements of Repherion. Ignoring the shooting pains in his legs, he moved over to where he could see Yesnelph and Bergel. Yes, he was right - the away troops for Eyorbriggar had already reached the other side of the river bank and were closing in on Yesnelph.

And that was when the unexpected struck.

Valkron heard screams from below. He ran to the other side of the battlements and looked down to see a massive force from Apocalypse Ultima attack the gates of Repherion. As they flew open with a crash, the combined troops of Repherion hit them head on.

The knight practically threw himself down the staircase. He ran to his peco and slapped it on the flank. The peco honked loudly and broke into a run; the knight swiftly grabbed the reins and hauled himself over the bird's back.

He dug his heels into the peco's belly. Evlor honked again and charged towards the gates, scattering fighters left to right as the knight cleared his way through. Valkron drew his sword and muttered something under his breath before swinging it up high.

It glowed yellow for a second. Valkron swung it down, and within ten minutes he had broken out of the crowd that was Apocalypse Ultima's troops, leaving behind a trail of unconscious warriors.

He knew what Selvatinius would do. Attack Yesneplh and Bergel, distract troops, attack Repherion, distract more troops...and the real intention was Merseitzdeitz.

And at the gates of said agit the knight ran into yet more troops. Smiling grimly, Valkron laid his blade into so many people that soon they began to retreat. However, no one died that day - mainly because Emeth had taught him how to blunt his sword in order to injure no one when he intended to.

_Coordination_, his mind thought, as he held them off Merseitzdeitz. _What he wants to see is coordination--_

A hunter ran up to him. "Sir! The AU troops at Yesnelph have been driven back past Britoniah's borders!"

"Get half of Repherion and half of Eyorbriggar to defend Merseitzdeitz! Make sure we've got Wing Defenders and Eyorbriggar's Iron Arms in them as well! Move fast, I want them straight here! Tell the rest to keep an eye on Yesnelph and Bergel!"

_--which includes how obedient they are, and how well they know what I want._

_Do they even know?_

_What is Selvatinius truly looking for?_

Valkron moved like a snake. He freed himself from the press of the crowd, and looked around.

_"Selvatinius has different faces to him."_

_Which face is this?_

As if on cue, everything seemed to slow down as if moving through water. Valkron turned his head in the direction of Geffen and saw Selvatinius.

Everything blurred and moved into the background. Valkron heard nothing. He only saw the priest. As he watched, Selvatinius turned to face him, and he saw the look in the priest's eyes.

At that very moment, someone hit him in the stomach.

Valkron was thrown off his peco, but he didn't lose his head so easily. He rolled and then kicked out at the person's ankle, before leaping to his feet. He looked around.

What was it that he was doing? What was it that he had to do? This just wasn't right.

Right.

Valkron frowned. Everyone was fighting the way he wanted. They were doing everything right. There was coordination.

And yet...that look in the priest's eyes.

Valkron mounted Evlor again, and surveyed his surroundings. He could see Selvatinius nowhere-- Aha! There he was! He was watching his troops move in on Merseitzdeitz, and now Repherion--

There was a flash of light again, this time from Eyorbriggar. Valkron turned to look, and then was left with an expression of horror and shock on his face as he mentally decoded the flashes of light.

He took a deep breath.

* * *

Adiemus and Raven were busy helping the Merseitzdeitz troops hold off Apocalypse Ultima when they heard the mighty bellow of Valkron again. Silence fell across the troops like a wave. No one moved.

"_Troops, assemble! The Black Cross has arrived!_"

Valkron saw several things, just before the troops began to surge forward. He saw Adiemus and Raven look at each other. He saw Selvatinius look at them. He saw them nod.

And then, in that instant, he had urged his peco to join them.

They met in the mass of people. The troops flowed around them and left them in a little isolated clearing, but they ignored the noise and the people. It was just them now.

"Call the test off," said Selvatinius calmly, his placid smile still on his face. "We have a greater matter at hand to deal with."

"We don't have a choice. We've not brought the best troops with us," said Raven.

"We'll band together on this one, yes?" said Valkron, ignoring the rogue.

"Yes," answered the other two.

"These are not my best troops!" protested Raven.

Selvatinius turned around and put an arm around Raven's shoulders. "Raven," he said, smiling, "when I'm around, do you _reallly_ need your best troops?"

* * *

The Black Cross' troops assembled in front of Repherion with unnerving precision. There was no Apocalypse Ultima in sight. There was no presence of the Exodus Faction. There was no hint that the Defenders of Prontera had been there.

Valkron narrowed his eyes. He was standing with the original Raulus party, and the more senior members as well. They - and him - were looking straight at what they knew were the Black Cross' elite troops.

Because, standing in front of the assembled troops, were three people. One was a crusader, one was a sage, and one was a monk.

There was silence. Then Zweihaender drew his sword and swung it towards the Raulus.

The troops Zweihaender had under his command were blacksmiths, knights and crusaders - similar to what Shen had in his Heavy Arms. What valkron did not expect, however, was for Oripheus to immediately point at the Raulus with his staff.

As Vallrkon tried to duck under the power of the magic-based fighters under the sage's command, he shouted, "Nalini! Do something!"

The sage ran forward and swept her staff out in an arc in front of her. There was a moment's pause, and then a massive shattering sound as wizards, priests and sages alike stumbled backwards as their spells rebounded.

Oripheus pointed at her. Nalini's head jerked back, and she staggered before falling to her knees.

Valkron could have gone to help her then, but instead he shot past her - and just in time. His sword met with a pair of brass knuckles. Metal grated against metal as monk and knight strained to push each other down.

"Nalini! Get up!"

There was a short outburst of song from Samaroh, and the sage got to her feet. She glared at Oripheus, and charged towards him.

Arlena leapt backwards, and then absorbed one of the glowing blue balls around her. White lightning crackled at her hands. She leapt forward, her clenched fist two inches away from Valkron's face--

--and then Silas flew past Valkron and kicked her arm away. Arlena somersaulted in midair, and landed lightly back on her feet.

As Repherion's troops struggled to hold back Zweihaender's battalion, Iruna sheathed her sword, hitched her shield onto her peco's side, and drew her spear. Zweihaender turned, his face blank as a wall. They met in the middle of the battlefield; sword and spear met with a mighty crash.

Samaroh sang quickly. White light exploded around everyone. At the same time, the wrath of four elements slammed into the Black Cross' troops. Zak and Khan disappeared into the midst of the fight. Amaru charged in and slammed his axe into the ground, toppling about twenty people.

Valkron had been in plenty of situations where he could safely apply the phrase 'all hell broke loose' to, but this one earned the honorary award of actually sounding and feeling like one. The explanation was that Arlena had ordered her troops to move forward. They were made up of alchemists, rogues and hunters.

Eni ran past Valkron, tipping up a bottle of glistening liquid over his head as she did. He barely felt the cooling sensation; he had brought out his scythe and, having blunted it, was felling people like trees.

Suddenly the crowd cleared. He turned to see Nalini facing Oripheus, Iruna facing Zweihaender, and Silas facing Arlena. All six were breathing heavily and covered with soil and sweat.

Iruna lifted her spear, her eyes blindfolded and looking formidable. Zweihaender hefted his sword, his face as blank as ever.

"Not going to say anything, Zwei?" she asked.

The other crusader grunted. "Expecting me to preach to you? You're already a crusader."

"Thanks for pointing that out."

Spear and sword slammed into each other. Iruna and Zweihaender lunged and slashed at each other. White lightning crackled between them, and sparks flew as metal met with metal.

Nalini held out her staff, trembling a little. Oripheus watched without any emotion.

"Sorry about this," she said, and leapt.

Oripheus jerked aside. The pointed tip of her staff passed inches from his face. He brought his staff around and whacked it aside, before...throwing the staff on the ground.

And then he crouched and lunged forward. Bolts of fire struck Nalini. She desperately tried to keep her balance, but Oripheus was already on her. Valkron watched in horror as he slammed a heavy book into her stomach and wrenched her staff from her. Throughout his attack, bolts of fire kept hitting her.

Arlena cracked her knuckles. Silas inclined his head, his bright blue eyes watching her.

"Let this be a fair fight," he said quietly.

Monk and monk met in the air. Their momentum was so great that they actually dealt blows at each other in midair before gravity took over. Silas landed back down, and then took a running leap into the air and kicked at Arlena.

Arlena grabbed his ankle and yanked him away from her. Silas headed to the ground head first, but he swiftly did a handstand and twisted his body around, still aiming his feet at her. She jerked away; he punched at her, white lightning crackling from his fist.

The first one to fall out was Nalini. Even though she was built for endurance, she certainly could not stand the extreme speed and ferocity of Oripheus' level of Hindsight. The sage finally backed away and cast Energy Coat around herslef before backing away. Her clothes were burned and she was bleeding.

But even then, Oripheus did not stop. The sage pointed at her, a gleam in his eye. The aura of Energy Coat vanished. Nalini screamed in fear, and with that scream, Oripheus struck out at her...

...and hit a staff.

Emeth was standing in front of Nalini, his staff out. Valkron started. He knew Emeth didn't have a chance against a sage - why would he go up against one, let alone said sage being Oripheus?

The question was answered almost immediately. Oripheus' eyes narrowed, before the sage jerked back and picked up his staff. Emeth gripped his own. They stared at each other.

Wizard and sage spun in the middle of the battlefield. In the middle of the physical battle, bolts began to rain down. Valkron was about to run into the battle and pull Emeth out of it, but became aware of Emeth's glowing eyes. That was when he knew Emeth was in control, and having the upper hand.

The wizard was _dodging all of the bolts_.

The six duelled fiercely for a good hour. Valkron looked at Samaroh, and saw the look on his face. It looked as if the Black Cross was not going to get any further - Iruna, Emeth and Silas could fight on par with Zweihaender, Oripheus and Arlena.

As if on cue, Arlena staggered back, her hair plastered over her face and her expression enraged. She screamed, "Charge!"

"What are you doing?" demanded Zweihaender, but it was too late. Arlena's battalion surged forward, and met the combined troops of Repherion and Merseitzdeitz. Oripheus shoved Emeth off him and pointed forward.

Zweihaender rolled his eyes, but it was clear he had to do what they did. Within seconds, the gates of Repherion were creaking with the effort of trying not to explode under the weight of troops battling in between them. Valkron drew his sword.

"Valkron!"

He turned. Raven was waving at him.

"Get back!" the rogue called out.

Valkron did so, and so did the others who were not fighting. The Black Cross troops suddenly found themselves free to move in, and so they did.

Which was probably the biggest mistake they'd ever made, because from behind Repherion the full force of Apocalypse Ultima, the Exodus Faction and the Defenders of Prontera surged forward, like a vengeful river breaking forth from a dam.

* * *

After the battle, Valkron met the other three leaders again.

"Thank you," he said gratefully to them. "I would have never survived without you all."

"We were waiting for the right moment," said Raven, his hands on his hips. "Thanks to Selvatinius, the Black Cross knows that you've got all the other guilds in the kingdom on your side."

"All the other guilds...?"

"Allying with Apocalypse Ultima is like allying with all the guilds in the kingdom," explained Adiemus. "Such is the charisma of AU. Selvatinius is said to have the charisma that rivals that of Gillivan."

Valkron laughed, but the name of the hunter made his heart sink a little. The game was still on.

"Right," he said, serious again. "Look, I won't be able to hold off the Black Cross on my own the next time they do that. I doubt that was the real thing, anyway. It looks like I'll have to gear up."

"Valkron."

They looked at Selvatinius, who had stopped staring at the sky.

"You have done well," said the priest. "Far beyond my expectations, in fact. You have broken the Guild Barricade. Welcome to the real world of the War of Emperium."

"I think I already know that," said the knight carefully.

"You have proven yourself well." Selvatinius nodded. "Now, we must tell him what we have planned for him."

"Oh, no," groaned Valkron, burying his face into his hands.

"Wait, Valkron. Before that, I do believe a congratulations is in order."

"For what?"

"For earning our respect." Selvatinius held out his hand. "And because you earned it honestly, the naming of this alliance will be in your honour. Choose the name."

Valkron looked around. "Why do I need a name for?"

"So that it will be remembered." Selvatinius smiled at the other two. "And I think it will be an alliance worth remembering, indeed."

The knight looked around again, and sighed. "Repherion?"

"A worthy name indeed. Now, let the Repherion Alliance be established!"

Valkron shook hands with Selvatinius, Adiemus and Raven, slightly bewildered. The other three shook hands between themselves.

"Let this be an alliance of friendship and trust, not an alliance written down in black and white. Let this be an alliance where no profit is made, and support is freely available. Let this be an alliance to honour!"

"For Rune-Midgard!" they shouted.

"What were you looking for when you were testing me?" Valkron asked Selvatinius, still suspicious. "Especially about my coordination."

Selvatinius threw his head back and laughed. "You already know the answer!"

As Valkron stared at him, the priest said, "There is no such thing as coordination that is correct!"

* * *

And so it begins...

note: Emeth doesn't have a specific build, unlike Valkron or Iruna or Zweihaender or Silas or Oripheus or...anyone else in the series. There's a reason why.

special note for FFNet: by the way, I put up the teaser for WotW 3 in my profile. Enjoy my evilness. ;D


	51. No Gold, No Glitter, All Game

Chapter 51  
**No Gold, No Glitter, All Game**

Instead of a two hour guild war session the next week, all guild leaders had to attend the soiree at Prontera Castle.

"You don't look too happy about it, Valkron," said Emeth, looking at him. The knight had chosen Iruna and the wizard to come with him - it was customary for a guild leader to bring two others with him. Adiemus stayed behind in Repherion for the few nights leading up to the event, in order to help him.

"I've seen the inside of Prontera Castle one too many times, of course I wouldn't be happy," answered the knight as he straightened the lapels of his jacket. "And you know I don't like wearing a tuxedo."

"Just wear it for the look of the thing, will you? It's only for a night."

"I swear I still look like a fool in it."

Iruna poked her head around the door. "Both of you men are really depressing, you know? Can't you just change in peace?"

"At least you enjoy being a distinguished woman," remarked Valkron.

"What, you don't want to be a distinguished man?" Iruna laughed. "You just wait until I get myself straightened out, and then I'm coming along to get you straightened out as well!"

"I better get going," muttered Emeth. Valkron watched resignedly as the wizard hurried out of the room. He sighed and went back to making himself look marginally presentable for the event.

The odd thing was that Adiemus was allowed to wear armour to functions like these. Valkron felt envious of him.

"You won't ever want to be seen dead in one of these, Valkron," warned the crusader. "So don't think of it. Ever."

"Well, at least you look your part."

"Yes, but not in this ridiculous ceremonial armour." Adiemus sighed. "Your sword could probably cut through it like paper."

"Well, there's the disadvantage," conceded the knight. "But then again, who else would attack you during a soiree?"

"Of course no one would attack you," said the crusader, giving him a look. "But if an assassin came along, you'd be obliged to protect the king."

And with that, Adiemus won the argument.

Valkron often wondered why Emeth seemed to go so well with his messy look. Although he tried his best to look neat (and Kushana would often help, much to the wizard's embarrassment), about two minutes later he had reverted back to his messy demeanour. Without moving.

Adiemus had said that the word 'messy' did not apply to the wizard.

"Wizards are born aristocrats," he said, watching as Kushana tried to smooth the creases out of Emeth's collar.

"What? Really?"

"Well...in the case of Emeth, maybe not. But they're cold and aloof, in general, and hold their noses up high. You don't have to take me literally, I'm just--"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it."

"So in effect, 'messy' doesn't fit him. Call it...dishabille."

"_What?_"

"It's messy with style," explained the crusader.

Valkron had given him a look then that made Adiemus reconsider his options and back away.

Later on, the three of them met together in the meeting room. Iruna looked stunningly beautiful. She wore a lilac sleeveless sequinned gown that reached down to her ankles; paired with off-white satin gloves and her waist-length blue hair drawn up into a bun, she was, as Emeth said, "going to shake people up".

"Eni did my hair for me," she said, indicating the bun at the back. There was what looked like a pair of chopsticks artfully pushed into it, with long glittering threads hanging from the tops.

Emeth nudged Valkron. "You've got to be glad you've got her, man."

"I feel somewhat outclassed by her," remarked the knight, who was staring.

Iruna sighed, shaking her head. "I'm trying to make you look as if you deserve to be amongst the guild leaders, but you make it look like I'm the one who should be the leader. At any rate, at least you're not dressing up like this. It's still fairly cold, and the only thing that would go with this outfit is this little fur overcoat, and it's not even warm enough."

"I can imagine that, since you're used to all that heavy armour," said Valkron. He did not add: and have the muscles to prove it.

"True," sighed the crusader.

Emeth cleared his throat. "Well then, shall we go?"

"Good luck!" called out Kushana, as they left the meeting room. Valkron, Iruna and Emeth left with the sounds of their comrades calling out to them ringing in their ears.

Adiemus was waiting for them in the hallway of Repherion. His ceremonial armour, although impractical, gave him an impressive air about him. Valkron, once again, wished he was that lucky.

"Is it me," said Emeth, "or do male crusaders wear armour while females don't?"

"I have a choice," answered Iruna primly. "Besides, ceremonial armour is usually for induction ceremonies, promotions and the like."

"I'd rather not wear a suit," added Adiemus.

_Because you were married in it_, said a voice in Valkron's head. _And you don't want to be reminded of the memories._

_Damn you_, thought Valkron irritably. _Will you just shut up? Why do I always have to listen to you?_

_Because there's no way you can switch me off. Anyway, you're going to need me very soon._

Valkron hadn't the faintest idea what the voice in his head was talking about, but he sighed and let it be. He was sure that hearing voices in your head was a sign of insanity, but it was not as if Valkron was actually losing it. Besides, it was only _one_ voice, and he could choose not to listen to it if he wanted to.

Problem was that the advice it gave out at times was very useful.

For now, he'd let it be.

Hlin warped them to Prontera's Western Gate. That was probably when he saw the pecos and carriage, and now realised why, on the invitation, there had been a blank for 'Location of warp in Prontera'.

The pecos were of the Grand species found in the Schwartzwald Republic. They were paler in colour and had less decoration on their beaks than the normal pecos found in Sograt Desert. The thing that was most distinguishable of all was their colourful tails - normal pecos did not have tails at all. Valkron preferred his peco over them any day, even though they were potentially stronger than a normal peco.

They sat in the carriage in silence as the grand pecos pulled it along, with much rattling, to Prontera Castle. Valkron, tweaking aside the curtain to see what was going on outside, noticed people moving out of the way as the carriage passed through the crowds of merchants.

_As guild leaders we're a cut above the rest, huh?_ he thought.

The carriage stopped right up to the doorstep. Valkron got out first and offered his hand to Iruna, who took it gracefully. Adiemus and Raven had come with them (Raven had been waiting at the Western Gate), and they too followed after Emeth, who came after Iruna had emerged.

Valkron had seen Prontera Castle from inside so many times that he was by now unaffected by its grandeur, but this time he too was taken unawares. The castle's red carpet had been rolled out right until it was over the steps leading up to the great doors of the castle. The doors were open, and from the doorway light streamed out.

The three of them - Iruna supporting her hand on Valkron's arm - made their way up the steps into a small room sandwiched between the entrance and the next room. They did not manage to reach the second one, however.

Adiemus caught up with them, saw their faces, and smiled. "Absolutely stunning, isn't it?"

"You're telling me," said Emeth.

The Great Hall of Prontera Castle was where all knighting ceremonies took place. Valkron remembered it being quite a large hall, constructed of marble and with a large crystal chandelier hanging from its ceiling. There were usually torches in brackets around its walls, and burning stands giving out light. The walls were plain, and held nothing more than the busts of the previous kings before King Tristan III.

Tonight the crystal chandelier was brightly lit, and so were the other crystal lamps that, although not as impressive in terms of size, gave out light enough to rival that of the chandelier. Red and blue drapings decorated the walls. On top of them, the great flags of the guilds hung from the ceiling. On the wall behind the decorative throne at the other end of the hall, the great flag bearing the double-headed eagle of the kingdom fluttered slightly in the breeze coming in from the door.

Valkron gazed around the walls of the hall. Maybe some flags remained in honour, or maybe they forgot to take down some of them, but whatever it was he was sure no one was going to remove the guild flags of the El Midor and the Odyssey.

"Valkron!" Iruna gasped, losing her stately composure a little. "Look!"

The knight looked where she pointed - and then understood. One wall was for the guilds that had passed, but should be honoured for time to come. The other wall was for the current guilds.

On that wall, he saw the ring of seven elaborate eyes put together. He saw the cross, with the circle in the centre. He saw the letters E and F intertwined together. He saw the double-headed eagle with the letters DoP printed onto it. He saw the simplistic sword pointing downwards with rays of light emitting from its hilt, and the letters AU on it.

And he saw the graceful phoenix, with its head held high and its wings sweeping downwards.

"They're _really_ serious about this guild business, aren't they?" said Emeth, staring at the flag.

"Hey."

They looked around. Adiemus was standing nearby.

"If you've had enough of ogling the decorations, come this way," he said, jerking his head towards the entrance of the hall. "They need to announce you. Let's see how far this goes."

"It's going to go very far," muttered Valkron. Iruna had assumed her stately pose beside, him; if she had heard what he had said, she wasn't showing it.

They walked into the hall.

The herald saw them. Immediately, with the determination of a man wanting to get it over with, he turned to the crowd below and announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, the Raulus guild!"

People's heads turned. Valkron had been right. They had not been expecting the rookie guild to come in at this moment. However, as the knight remarked sourly later on, the flag was up there, and therefore the Raulus had a right to attend.

The three of them descended the steps into the hallway in complete silence. Despite his previous grudges against going to a soiree, dressing up and participating in something that had absolutely no purpose in his life, Valkron put on what he called his 'formal face'. He usually did that for knighting ceremonies, since he was often required to attend them as a senior knight. No matter whatever happened during them, not even a newly knighted rookie tripping over his own feet, would change his expression.

Iruna later commented that someone could have taken a mould of his face and made a bust out of it.

Emeth, while looking completely messy in his suit, somehow struck the right chord with the women. As the three of them passed through the crowd to where all the guild leaders were supposed to stand, women of all ages sighed wistfully or gasped in lovestruck envy at him. Emeth, however, showed no sign of being interested in anything.

As a rule, all the guild leaders attending the soiree had to stand on a specially made pedestal for them, while the people they had brought with them stood behind. The result was a grumbling Iruna, since Valkron was temporarily taller than her. Emeth promised to tell her what she couldn't see, to keep her at peace.

He was standing in between Adiemus and Raven. On Raven's other side he could see Selvatinius. The priest was standing quite a distance away from the man on the other side, which was Vineis. Later on, Raven switched places with Selvatinius so that the line of guild leaders would not have an embarrassing gap.

Valkron looked at Adiemus. The crusader had an expression on his face that was similar to what Valkron felt like.

"Adiemus?" he whispered.

"Hm?"

"What guild is that?"

The crusader looked at where the knight was pointing. "That flag?"

"Yes."

"That was the Eye of Odin."

Something about the way Adiemus said it made Valkron ask, "What happened?"

"The Eye of Odin was a rookie guild, like yours. Like yours, it rose quickly through the ranks and claimed two hundred members. It was led by an assassin called Horus."

"What happened to it?"

"Horus attacked Fadhgrindh during the Black cross campaign the day you took Repherion. They almost got through." Adiemus' face darkened. "And then they suffered the magic of Sedir."

"One man defeated a guild of two hundred?"

"One man made a guild of two hundred fear him, and then gave us a glimpse of what he could do by poisoning Horus."

Valkron stayed silent. Whenever Adiemus used that tone, he knew there was no use pushing further. The crusader would not say more.

He was just about to ask Adiemus what they were doing on the pedestal when someone flounced past them, waving a black box and a notebook. She came back a few seconds later, when Valkron was still trying to make sure that he hadn't just seen a very revealing...garment...pass by.

"Ooh! Are you Valkron of the Raulus!" she gasped out, her black box flouncing around. She took the pencil from behind her ear, flipped open her notebook and smiled eagerly at him.

The knight had never come across the upper class companies of Prontera. True, he had lived and worked in the city for a good part of his life, but Valkron was wary of people who lived off others' misfortunes without a care in the world.

"Well, yes," he said. The girl looked young, with her hair pulled back and tied into two heavily curled ponytails high up on her head, on either side. Her eyes were so blue that they were almost white.

Although this would have made her pretty, the fact that she had taken it into her mind that kohl around her eyes looked good on her ruined everything.

"I can't believe it! This is your first time in a guild soiree, am I right!"

Valkron was wondering how she could speak so explosively. He could hear every letter of New Runic being forced out on him, and felt sorry for the language.

"Yes, indeed. It's not something dramatic, is it?"

Just then, Adiemus' heavy foot landed on his. It took Valkron all his effort to not wince in pain.

"But to the _Prontera Standard_ it is!" The girl, who appeared to be hopping from foot to foot in excitement, held out a hand. "I'm Serissa! So glad to meet you!"

Ah. So that explained the weirdness. Valkron took it carefully and shook her hand.

"Do you mind if I ask you a few questions," Serissa looked around her, "later?"

"If I have the time," he replied, and added, privately in his head, _and if you manage to see me._

"Okay then! See you!"

When she had gone, Adiemus said, "You'd better not say too much to the Prontera Press staff. They'd sell their souls to the devil just to know everything that's going on, and then go and exploit all the information for zeny. Serissa's new, so she might make mistakes, but I doubt they'll get past the editor."

"You make them sound like the devil's minions or something," remarked the knight, raising an eyebrow.

"If they were demons in disguise, yes, I would."

"I'll try to avoid her as much as I can," the knight assured him. "Besides, I'm already famous enough. I don't need anymore publicity."

"I imagined you'd say that," said Adiemus, looking amused. "But then again, who can defeat the persuasive powers of the Prontera Press?"

Valkron gave him a look at this point.

Suddenly the din in the hall faded away. Valkron found himself standing to attention, and stayed that way. Adiemus, Raven, Selvatinius, Alya, Vineis and the other guild leaders Valkron did not know were doing the same.

The crowd of people parted. Valkron wondered what a crowd of people were doing in a guild soiree, and then realised that they were all nobles. He kept an eye on the gap the crowd had formed.

The first to emerge from it was a group of Prontera palace guards. They took up positions around the Great Hall with their partisans held straight up. They stood in silence as court nobles followed, along with what Valkron later found to be a few of the members of the Kingdom's Musicians assigned to the royal court.

Then came Seyren, his staff of office held high and his usual book held in his other hand. Valkron watched him make his way up to the throne and stand next to it. His face looked lazy and casual, but the knight had spent a long time with people like him, and he was not easily fooled.

Finally, followed by an even larger group of palace guards, was King Tristan III. The knight remembered his knighting ceremonies vividly as he watched the king make his way up to the throne and sit down.

The king made a speech. Valkron generally didn't listen to it, but this time he did.

"Welcome to the first guild congregation of the year!" the old king announced, to polite applause. "I hope everyone is well, for without the guilds of the kingdom we would not be where we are now."

He continued, this time in a more serious tone. "Over the years, guilds have come and gone. However, the Great Hall shall always be decorated with the flags of the guilds worth mentioning, and the leaders of those guilds will have their names etched into the history of the kingdom forever. Let us pray for their peace, and respect them as forerunners of our proud standing in the continent."

There was something Valkron was sure was a minute of silence, except that it lasted for about less than half of its supposed time. When the king spoke again, his tone was much brighter.

"However, I am elated to announce that today we have several new champions amongst us! Let us all celebrate their entrance into the world that is the War of Emperium! May they too alter the history of Rune-Midgard, and prove themselves in the battle of the guilds!"

There was polite applause again, but it quickly faded away when Seyren stepped forward.

"I call forward the guilds that have made their way into the ranks of the War of Emperium and fought to maintain their positions," he said. Unlike King Tristan, he did not shout; his voice was already echoing impressively through the Great Hall. He pulled out a scroll and unravelled it.

"First in the War of Emperium rankings for six months," he read out. "Almost five hundred economy points accumulated. Eleven castles under its control. Boasts some of the best troops in the kingdom. Ladies and gentlemen, the Black Cross."

Valkron watched as Vineis made his way up, flanked by Sheuth and the dark-skinned assassin he knew as Lucius, and bowed to the crowd in front. There were quite a few cheers from the crowd, and someone shouted, "Black Cross forever!" before the people around shushed him.

Once the wizard had gone to the other side of the hall, Seyren looked back down at the scroll. "Second in ranking. Has a total of three hundred economy points accumulated. Two castles under control. Renown for flexibility and excellent cooperation. Ladies and gentlemen, the Seven Eyes."

Once again, there were cheers. Valkron looked at Adiemus just in time to see the crusader roll his eyes.

"They like the two guilds because of their ranking," he explained. "Last time they liked the Exodus Faction and the Defenders of Prontera because of our ranks, too. It wasn't worth it."

Seyren went down the list without any change in his already dull, flat tone. It was as if he was so used to it there was no point in looking forward to it any longer - and Valkron would bet anything that this was true.

The knight was starting to drift off in his own thoughts by now. Adiemus and Raven had gone off, and so was Selvatinius. He was now standing with the leaders of the Guardians of Geffen and the Legionnaires, who were standing as far as possible from him. Valkron ignored them. They could stand as far as they wanted, provided they didn't do it just to get a run up so that they could attack him--

"Sixth in ranking, and rising fast. Has accumulated at least two hundred and fifty economy points. Controls Britoniah, and two castles in Greenwood Lake. Has risen to an impressive stand in six months. Renown for its ferocity, determination and purpose. Ladies and gentlemen, the Raulus."

Valkron felt a nudge in his back from Emeth, and automatically turned to go. As he went up, most of the crowd actually erupted in cheers, although there was some fantastic booing thrown in as well. Valkron glanced back and observed that Emeth and Iruna were stony-faced, and not showing any emotion whatsoever.

Someone shouted, "Three cheers for the rookie!" Another person called out, "Three hundred says they disband by the end of the year!" And then, as crowds were wont to do, everyone took up on the bet, until even the most distinguished nobles found themselves being teased into shouting out as well.

"Silence."

It was not a very loud word. It had not been said with any threat or anger whatsoever. Nevertheless, like the tendrils of an ink drop in water, the silence spread, until the crowd was perfectly silent, staring wide-eyed at Seyren.

"This is the Great Hall of Prontera Castle," he said softly. "You stand in front of the king, and the kingdom's most distinguished guilds. You should be ashamed."

Valkron had to fight the urge to listen to Seyren's drawling voice. There was something about the sage that he couldn't quite put his finger on - something that seemed friendly, but warned of danger.

After they had stepped down, Valkron looked at Adiemus and Raven. "Am I in trouble?"

The two of them looked at each other. Then Raven shrugged. Both of them seemed to be at a loss for words.

Selvatinius, who was standing nearby, sighed. "Valkron," he said, his smiling face giving nothing away, "there is no word to describe you."

* * *

Valkron found the soiree to be quite dull. All everyone did was to stand around, talk and eat. He had the notion that politics was going around, but right now he wasn't interested in it.

Iruna and Emeth had left him to circulate around the hall, talking and mingling with the others. Iruna had found other fellow crusaders and was chatting brightly to them, while Emeth was constantly in the company of women and seemed to be doing well. Valkron envied his charm that seemed to pull in the ladies without any effort, and yet at the same time the strong self-discipline that kept them away from getting too close to him.

_I told you Emeth was the right one for the job_, said a voice in his head. _Look at him. All he needs is to show his true self now, and you know what his true self is._

_It's only a hint_, Valkron corrected the voice. _Just a hint. It's a mighty big risk I'm doing, banking heavily on him, but I just have the feeling he can pull it off._

"Hello again!"

Too late, Valkron realised that he should have been moving about and not standing in one place. Serissa had caught up with him, and now she was holding her notebook, her pencil poised above it eagerly.

"So how's it like, going from a lone mercenary knight commander to a powerful guild leader!" she said, her eyes shining in anticipation. Valkron suddenly imagined a small dog with very large eyes begging to be played with.

"It's...all right," he said, struggling to keep out of her grasp. "Stressful, though."

"If you had the chance, would you go back to being a lone mercenary again!"

Valkron thought over this before actually saying anything. "No. I think I prefer this life."

"What if your guild was martialled in court and disbanded by force!" Serissa had the amazing ability to scribble in her notebook without looking at it. "Would you rather go back to how things were before the Raulus was formed!"

"I have no idea how to answer that question, and I think I probably wouldn't know the answer unless it really happened," answered the knight carefully.

"Well, it's just hypothetical!"

"Hypothetical or not, it's something a guild leader wouldn't want to think about." Valkron was starting to tire. Serissa was a like a very bright beam of torchlight forcing itself on him, and there was only so much that a man like him could take.

Serissa scribbled this down, and smiled so dazzlingly that Valkron had to use all his effort not to shield his eyes from her sparkling white teeth. "Well then, thank you! I hope we meet again!"

"I certainly hope we don't," he muttered, watching her flounce off to harry the leader of the Legionnaires.

He turned, and came face to face with none other than Vineis.

They stared at each other for a few seconds. During that very short period of time, Valkron realised that Vineis somehow looked like any normal man, with a look of surprise. Then the wizard's face relaxed and he smiled, albeit a tad stiffly.

"I wonder why I'm surprised at your presence here," he said. "As a guild rising through the ranks, you deserve to have your flag hung in the Great Hall. You have made quite an impression on the rest of us. Congratulations."

Valkron inclined his head a little. "Thank you. I myself am awed by your determination and strength in maintaining your position in the guild wars. You must have had many rivals, and yet--"

"--all have been overcome, like hurdles in a race," said Vineis smoothly. "Yes, it has been rather tough, but the experience is rewarding."

"You must attend these soirees with great enthusiasm as well."

Vineis nodded briefly. "Well, why not? It's not everyday that one gets to participate in such glorifying ceremonies. Although I imagine you're not very happy about it, being the knight who dislikes fame."

The knight thought over this. Vineis seemed innocent enough, and yet his words were pushing for somewhere else. Valkron did not want to fall prey to it, whatever it was.

"Let's just say I'm rather disillusioned with everything these days," he said, at length. "At least you, Vineis, are still young enough to be ignorant of quite a lot of things man should never know."

The wizard looked slightly taken aback. "Is that good?"

"It keeps the darkness away," replied Valkron.

There was no change in his expression, but something in Vineis' eyes made Valkron realise that somehow he had touched something - something Vineis had that he didn't show. However, it was lost the next second.

"Well, I should be leaving you to your own," said the wizard. "May you have a good night, and enjoy yourself."

"The very same to you, Vineis." Valkron nodded at him, and watched him go, followed by Sheuth. He overheard the wizard telling the rogue, "Now, we really need to find Lucius. No night is safe without him."

Someone tapped him on the shoulder. The knight turned around to see the dark-skinned assassin who had been following Vineis earlier.

"Lucius?" he said, in surprise.

The assassin put a finger to his lips. Unlike everyone else in the hall, he was not wearing any formal wear; he was wearing the assassin's standard uniform.

"Beware," he said.

And then he was gone.

Valkron blinked in surprise. His first thought was whether it had been his imagination. Then he realised that although Lucius had indeed gone from his sight, it had not been a trick of the light. The assassin was drifting silently through the crowd towards Vineis and Sheuth; the reason why valkron had missed him was because he blended in so well with the mishmash of the colours around him.

The knight scratched his head. Something was going on with the guilds...and he didn't know what it was.

_Too old, eh?_ sneered the voice in his head. _You should have taken notice of politics earlier, in your life. Gold and glitter, Valkron, all you see is gold and glitter - and that is what they want you to see, even if you don't want it and have no use for it. Gold and glitter, it's just a disguise. Everyone here has a motive._

* * *

Later on he discovered how much gold and glitter there was.

"Being friendly with the ladies is quite a rewarding experience," said Emeth, as their carriage made its way back to the Western Gate. "Once you know how to twist words with them, they tell you everything. They see you as a sensitive man, and then everything comes out."

"Remind me never to talk with you again," commented Iruna.

"The magic we can play can be quite interesting," continued the wizard, ignoring her. "If only you know how to play it right. Anyway - Valkron, I suggest you start taking an interest in politics now."

Valkron stayed silent.

Emeth probably thought the knight was indirectly thinking why, because he said, "It looks like the War of Emperium is starting to revolve around you. Vineis may not mind this, but a lot of his guild members dislike you strongly, and are voicing their discontent. The wizard treats his guild like family, so there's a risk of him taking their word and begin acting on you. I have no idea why the tide is turning in favour of you, but the news of the Repherion Alliance has spread. They're seeing us as a major threat, and they want to get us out of the way. They'll do anything to do it, by hook or by crook. And although Seyren's completely unbribable, they could probably get away with it by using loopholes in the laws."

"It's not just that, Emeth," said Iruna. "There's an awfully complex game being played right now by the Black Cross in general. It seems that Valkron appears to be an obstacle in it. I don't know what the intentions of the Black Cross are in that game, but they seem...significant."

Emeth sighed. "I don't know why this is happening just when we want to live in peace. Valkron, did you hear me? You have to get started _now_."

When Valkron spoke, Emeth and Iruna stared at him.

"If you don't know, I'm already playing another game, but with Apocalypse Ultima, Defenders of Prontera and the Exodus Faction." He lifted his head. "All we need is for the Black Cross to make a move. On us."

* * *

I forgot to add several things in the 'author's notes' sections recently, and I've forgotten quite a few, so I'll add them in as I go along and remember them on the way O.o

If Selvatinius existed in-game, he would be a level 99 battle priest. By battle priest, I mean the kind that uses a mace to stave in people's skulls.

Also – there is nothing to worry about the voice in Valkron's head. He's not insane. That's just the voice of the other knight, the alternate state of mind he has.


	52. Rivals Under Attack

Chapter 52  
**Rivals Under Attack**

Vineis read the report.

He put it down on the table.

He picked it up and read it again.

He put it down again.

Sheuth was watching him carefully. The rogue, who knew Vineis well, was thinking of making a run for it when the wizard said, "No activity at all."

"Yes, Vineis."

"All spies report the same thing."

"Yes, Vineis."

"They're not going anywhere."

"Yes, Vineis."

"Isn't this a little suspicious?" asked the wizard, looking up at Sheuth. "Why is the Raulus not doing anything? The next War of Emperium is tomorrow, and yet they show no signs of discussion or preparation."

"Fairly suspicious, in my opinion," said Sheuth. "It's not like them to suddenly stop. I doubt the soiree would have changed Valkron's mind about maintaining the ranking."

"Well, it is quite an intimidating event," mused the wizard. "But you're right. Valkron is not easily swayed by events or people."

"Maybe there should be a closer investigation on him," suggested the rogue.

"Our spies are already risking their lives on this, Sheuth. Valkron has spies too, you know." Vineis sighed. "Well, whatever they do, we'll be keeping an eye on. I'm sure no one wants another Eye of Odin to try us."

Sheuth nodded briefly and left.

As he walked along the passages of Gondul to his room, he decided that it was time.

* * *

It was true that there had been no discussion or anything of the sort in the Raulus. Spies had commented seeing Valkron send falcons off to Greenwood Lake, but the knight did it on a weekly basis, as a method of corresponding with his guild extension. There was no change in the peaceful atmosphere in Britoniah.

Winter had passed quickly, and now spring crawled along at a snail's pace. No one complained - spring was wonderful enough on its own. New life burst out everywhere, and birds sang from dawn till dusk.

However, there was something the spies did not account for.

Valkron watched in the distance as a small dot of light flashed in the distance. He was muttering under his breath.

When the light had stopped blinking, he turned to a hunter behind him. "Send as follows."

The mirror flashed. Then there was silence.

After a short while, there was a brief series of flashes in reply. Valkron nodded.

"Good, it's gone on. You can go," he added, to the hunter behind him.

The mirror signalling was good, but there had to be an alternative for the night. That was what he thought as he made his way back down to the ground floor of Repherion. Therefore Valkron had asked Aramithar to help design and build a small lantern that could be purposely made for such use.

He met Iruna and Emeth in the meeting room.

"How is it?" she asked.

"Shen will gladly do what I told him," answered the knight. "We don't have to worry about Greenwood Lake for now. Looks like we're all set."

"We're using the alternate troop method?" asked Emeth.

"Yes. After all, Adiemus, Raven and Selvatinius can't try to focus on two areas at once."

"You do know that the Repherion Alliance has seven hundred troops at its disposal in total," said Iruna. "That's even more than the Fire of Heaven Alliance."

"I'm not taking a risk with the combined forces of the Seven Eyes and the Black Cross," explained the knight. "Even if we have more troops, it doesn't necessarily mean we have more strength. Strength by numbers is not good enough."

"True," agreed Emeth, nodding.

"Does the entire Britoniah region know about this proposal?" asked Iruna, raising an eyebrow.

"Why are you giving me that look? I've just conveyed the message to Albrecht; he'll pass it on to Bergel and Yesnelph. It's not like I'm going to hide information." There was a pause, and then he added, "Again."

"He's telling the truth, Iruna," said Emeth. "I saw him go up to the battlements."

Iruna snorted, but said nothing in reply.

"Right, I'm going to go and have a shower," said Valkron, walking off. "Don't bother me."

* * *

Alya was in Bright Arbor the next day, preparing for the war. Her spies had notified her that several smaller guilds were going to invade their castle. Although she did not need to be around in Greenwood Lake, it had been her decision to see to them.

The great horns blared just as the Seven Eyes' much feared Gatekeepers had taken up position in front of the gates. Several minutes later, the gates crashed open, letting through a massive flow of lesser guild troops, all shouting in enthusiasm.

Alya, a Gatekeeper herself, shook her head. "Wizards! Defend!"

Fire, ice, wind and lightning crashed down on the invaders. The wizards on the attacking side raised their staffs, but Alya had already sent out a wave of energy that left ripples in the air at them. One after another, they fell.

And then the full force of the invaders slammed into the Gatekeepers head on.

Alya fought so hard that soon there was a little clearing around her. People did not dare take her on at close range. Apart from the occasional peco-mounted, spear-wielding knight, no one tried anything. As for said knights, they were forcefully thrown off their pecos by several monks who kept an eye on Alya nevertheless.

It was during the mess and chaos that she heard screams from the invaders, and suddenly found herself standing in the midst of equally mystified guild members. The small guilds were withdrawing, fleeing for their lives.

In front of her stood a grey-haired hunter and a white-haired knight.

"Good day, Alya," said Valkron. He was leaning on his sword casually.

The sage bristled. "What are you doing here, Valkron? Don't tell me you came to help me clear those worthless guilds! We're perfectly capable on our own!"

"Ouch. You can really sting when you want to, do you?" The knight got off his sword and sheathed it. "Well, no. We're really not here to help, however friendly we look at the moment."

Alya stared at Valkron, the truth dawning on her.

Then, in a split second, she had turned and shouted, "Gatekeepers, to me!"

But it was too late. The small guilds had drawn most of the Seven Eyes out of Bright Arbor, and now the troops of the Right Wing of the Phoenix were coming in from behind like a vengeful river. In front of them were troops from Britoniah.

The sage gritted her teeth. "I am _not_ going to let you through, Valkron!"

To her amazement, the knight shrugged.

"I'm not doing it for myself, Alya," he said. "You thought I'd be taking Bright Arbor for myself? Well, this is where the man you thought was too old and too nice as a knight becomes someone else."

Alya screamed, fury steaming off her, and charged. Valkron smiled.

"I'm not the only one here, Alya," he said, and pulled out his scythe.

Knight and sage whirled in the middle of the battle, as all around them Gatekeepers and the Right Wing of the Phoenix's Heavy Arms tussled for the upper hand. Valkron lunged forward, parried, slashed and scythed at her without pausing, as if everything had been planned beforehand. Alya was forced to defend herself over and over again, and any hit she aimed at him was always thrown off.

She couldn't believe it. Valkron was old, she knew. The crescent scythe, a much coveted weapon, was heavy. And yet here he was, moving as if everything was perfect, with eyes like glittering emeralds, and with a speed she had never experienced before.

Alya knew that Valkron was human, but somehow...he was not as human as she had expected.

She made one last desperate move - she slammed her staff into the ground. Massive spikes erupted from the ground and ripped the soil apart as it headed for the knight.

Valkron shook his head and slammed the tip of his scythe into the ground.

The spikes hit the scythe with such a powerful impact that those fighting nearby were thrown off their feet as the ground shook. The spell was still driving forward, but Valkron was not moving backwards, and neither was his scythe.

The spell died off. Alya's jaw had dropped. Her Heaven's Drive equalled that of a wizard's, but Valkron had easily broken through it as if it had been nothing but a rock thrown haphazardly at him

"Sometimes you've got to think about strength in terms of experience, Alya," said the knight, freeing his scythe from the ground and hooking it over his shoulder. "Adiemus told me you had doubts about me, because I was old and I'd give up my position to someone younger than me. That's not really true." He looked over her shoulder. "Ah, the way is clear."

"What are you talking about?" asked Alya, in despair.

"This."

Valkron raised his scythe. Light played along the dark, curved blade, and finished with a wink in the sunlight.

"That's your real rival, Alya," he said. "Behind you. I was just here to clear the path."

The sage turned around.

Selvatinius bowed. "Greetings, Alya. I hope you found Valkron entertaining. It is now my turn."

* * *

Lucius held up the recent spy report by his forefinger and thumb, as if it was something disgusting. "You misjudged the Raulus again, Sheuth."

The rogue stared. This was not easy to do, considering that the report was two inches from his nose.

"You did not tell Vineis, but you thought that the Raulus was not going to attack this time," continued the assassin. "And this time, the Repherion Alliance is working its strength."

Sheuth stared. At length, he said, "Apocalypse Ultima...has reclaimed Bright Arbor."

It was not a question.

Lucius threw the report at Sheuth; the rogue caught it, still stunned.

"You had better go and report to Vineis now," he said. "Before Alya informs him."

At the mention of Alya's name, the rogue turned on his heel and ran. Lucius watched him until he turned a corner and disappeared from sight, before turning to the others standing behind him.

"Still suspicious about Sheuth?" he asked them.

"Obviously," said Reita. "Why would he be so lax about the spies? Since when did he not care about the Raulus' activities?"

"I just can't quite put my finger on him," remarked David. "But we can't do anything, because Sheuth and Vineis share quite a close bond, after all."

"True," agreed Lucius. "Vineis will protest if anyone tries to take action on Sheuth. I do not know why."

"No one wants to know why," remarked David.

Lucius looked at the others, which consisted of Sedir, Naobi and Kuroihi. "Nothing to say?" he asked.

Kuroihi shrugged. "What is there to say?"

"I thought you could contribute."

"I know Sheuth as much as I know about magic," replied the knight. "There's not much of a point in saying anything if I don't know what it's about."

"Fair enough." Lucius frowned. "So what are we going to do about the Raulus? They seem very determined on taking everything from us."

"Their intention is to help the world, and therefore help the people. They need positions in the kingdom, however...and this means that they'll be invading every other region." David huffed. "They're driving a hard bargain on us."

"We don't have anything to worry about unless the Raulus pushes us," said Reita. "As long as they stay out of the Valkyrie Realms--"

"I will not have the Raulus invading Luina."

Everyone looked at Naobi. His soft voice had taken on a particularly venomous hiss to it.

"Luina is ours," he said, his green eyes narrowed. "The Raulus can have Greenwood Lake and Britoniah, but not Luina."

After a short silence, Kuroihi reached out and patted Naobi on the shoulder.

"We'll not let them," he said. "This is our stand. Don't worry, Naobi."

* * *

The extension of the Black Cross in Greenwood Lake was led by a very strange knight. Most people avoided him if they could. He had long, spiky black hair and very blue eyes. Although people had described him using numerous adjectives such as 'dashing', 'charismatic', 'dignified', and 'fascinating', no one dared to go near him.

Valkron knew him as a colleague. Adonis – for that was his name – was also a senior knight commander. Most knights avoided him as well; the black-haired knight had a reputation for being sadistic.

And two days after he had helped Apocalypse Ultima reclaim Bright Arbor, he was now facing Adonis.

"Good day, Adonis," he said, leaning on his sword.

The knight had permanently half-closed eyes, no matter how many times Valkron tried to catch him off-guard. He looked as lazy and uninterested as Seyren.

Adonis looked at him for a long time. Eventually he said, "Are you sure?"

The white-haired knight shrugged. "I'm not doing it for myself."

The horns blared.

Valkron sheathed his sword and pulled out his crescent scythe. "As much as I regret doing this, I can't really say no."

The two knights stared at each other. Valkron looked at Adonis and knew...

...he was going to _enjoy_ this.

Adonis used a massive zephyrus as a main weapon. Therefore there was much risk, as the weapon cast Thunderstorm on its own, randomly. Valkron swore, later on, that he had never had so much fun from dodging the spell and the spear at the same time. He received several looks from his guild troops later on.

But for now, they slammed into each other and strained to push each other off. Adonis was more well-built and younger than Valkron, but the older knight used experience to his advantage.

And soon the Exodus Faction and the Defenders of Prontera arrived.

* * *

Sheuth covered his eyes with one hand.

"All right, I berated you for being lax with spies, but how did this get past them?" asked Vineis, staring at the spy report. "And how did Adonis lose to Valkron? He's one of the best spear knights in the kingdom!"

He put the report down. "The presence of the Black Cross and the Seven Eyes in Greenwood Lake has been completely wiped out by the Repherion Alliance. Now here we have Sacred Palace and Bamboo Grove Hill occupied by the Right Wing of the Phoenix, Scarlet Palace and Holy Shadow reclaimed by the Exodus Faction, and Bright Arbor under Apocalypse Ultima. Before we know it the Defenders of Prontera are going to come after us."

Sheuth coughed. "Raven has expressed that he has no wish to reclaim the Valkyrie Realms, Vineis. At any cost or any price."

"I am _not_ taking any risks, Sheuth," the wizard said, giving his right-hand man a glare. "I want to see Adonis. I don't care where he is, call him by falcon."

It did not take long to summon the knight to Gondul, as he had returned to the Chivalry and therefore could easily warp himself into the castle by its respective guild flag sitting in Prontera Plaza. The only problem was that no matter how many times people had told him Vineis wanted to see him urgently, his deliberate, slow walk did not change speed.

The wizard shooed off Sheuth before talking to Adonis. Sheuth quietly closed the door and then pressed his ear against the cold keyhole to listen.

He heard Vineis say, "I am disappointed with you, Adonis. You let the Raulus, of all guilds beat you down and allow its allies to retake the agit. I want an explanation for this behaviour now."

There was a short silence. Adonis was a man of few words; it was clear he did not like being told to speak. When he spoke, Sheuth pushed against the door even further to hear him.

"Valkron used his skills to gain the upper hand in our fight. Before our fight was over, the Exodus Faction and the Defenders of Prontera had arrived."

"And you didn't try to stop him before anything else happened?" asked Vineis. Sheuth could imagine him watching Adonis with his fingers steepled on the desk in front of him.

"I attempted to do so. I did not expect my troops to give up so quickly. I continued fighting with Valkron in order to delay him, but to no avail."

There was a very long silence. Sheuth found himself holding his breath.

Finally, Vineis said, "This has gone too far. People around here are getting lax with their defences. Just because the big guilds have decided not to be involved with the Black Cross my own troops are beginning to think that guild life isn't so hard after all. It looks like there's a need for cutting down around here now."

The rogue heard the sharp intake of breath.

"Sir, you don't mean--" began Adonis. From his tone, his usually dull outlook had turned into something close to shock.

"Unfortunately, you have to be the first one to go." Sheuth heard the creak of the chair and the scrape of wood against carpet as Vineis got to his feet. "Leave the Black Cross, Adonis. You have failed my expectations of you, after all this time."

Sheuth peered through the keyhole. Adonis was standing very still. Vineis had moved over to the window; most of the keyhole blocked him out, but Sheuth could see his cloak.

"This is unreasonable," said Adonis, after a while. His voice had gone back to its flat, dull tone.

"Don't question my orders," replied Vineis.

"You don't know how it is like to fight with Valkron, do you?"

"Adonis, you have failed me. I have had enough failures, more than I can stand. It may be unreasonable that I am expelling you from the guild because you appear to be the failure that crossed the line, but it is a necessary decision that has to be made for the future of the guild." Vineis whirled around. "_Leave_, Adonis."

After a little while longer, the knight turned and made for the door. He went out without looking at Sheuth, who had quickly moved away from the door far enough to look as if he hadn't heard anything.

The rogue watched the knight disappear into the dimly lit corridors of Gondul. And as he watched, an idea, tiny but wicked, hatched in his mind.

* * *

Valkron spent the next day rubbing down his peco and brushing its feathers. From time to time he would get an occasional protest about taking care of pecos, to which he would usually reply, "You don't know how much your peco's worth till you lose it, so shut up and take care of it." But it was true. Without proper cleaning a peco was vulnerable to many illnesses and infections, and pecos were not 'just beasts', as some said.

The knight knew how valuable his own peco was to him. He'd bought it for 2,500 zeny from the trainer at the Chivalry, but to him Evlor was priceless. He doubted he'd ever have got out of tight situations without the peco. The bird had even saved his life several times, and Valkron felt slightly indebted to it. All he could do was feed it and see to it that the bird was well looked after.

As a result, Evlor had developed a sort of affectionate bond for his owner. Valkron accepted the bird's enthusiastic beak rubs and happy honks with grace, because he didn't want to disappoint the bird, and also because he couldn't outrun it.

Currently he was using a large brush to remove dirt he had missed. Evlor closed his eyes and enjoyed the slow, sweeping strokes along his back. Valkron worked until he had reached the short, almost non-existential tail. He gave the tail a few thorough brushings before going off to wash it, pausing on his way to scratch Evlor under the chin. The bird honked happily.

Finally he put away the grooming tools and patted the bird on the head. It nuzzled him before trotting off to its stable. Valkron watched it go.

After a while, he said, "Whoever is that behind me, get out into the open where I can see you when I turn around."

The silence was broken by footsteps on the fresh grass behind him. The sound grew louder, and then stopped when it was directly behind Valkron.

The knight scratched his head. "Kind of harsh of you to sneak up on us when we're not even armed or armoured, hm?"

The person behind him said nothing.

Valkron turned around and looked into a pair of navy blue eyes that seemed dull and uninterested in anything around them. He looked surprised for a minute, and then raised an eyebrow.

"What can I do for you," he said, "Adonis?"

* * *

And I'll leave it there for the next few days.

If you know about horses, you'll know that Valkron is grooming Evlor using a technique that is also used on horses. Reasons being 1) birds have natural oils in their feathers, and water will just run off (and therefore not collect any dirt), and 2) because the birds are like horses for the knights, anyway.

There won't be any chapters up for at least a week, mainly because I'm going off to France and then home. Once I get back home I'll resume the writing.

Hope you've enjoyed everything so far.

note for FFNet: I've left a poll on my profile page for research purposes - about which character of WotW is your favourite. It's just something I'd like to know. Don't ask me why. Even I don't know why I'd like to know.


	53. More Than Meets the Eye

Chapter 53  
**More Than Meets the Eye**

A lot of people stared as Valkron walked past. He disliked the focus of so many pairs of eyes on him, but even glaring did not work these days. After all, they were getting used to the grouchy knight who was their guild leader.

Besides, he told himself, they weren't staring at him. They were staring at Adonis.

It was true that most of the attention was on the knight behind him. Valkron wasn't surprised. Rookie knights stared at Adonis. Prontera guards stared at Adonis. Tourists stared at Adonis. _Knight commanders_ stared at Adonis. Valkron was used to Adonis, but by the looks of it no one else was.

But who could get used to Adonis? Even Valkron felt unsettled around the other senior knight commander. He mentally cursed himself for bringing the black-haired knight into Repherion.

Everyone looked up when he entered the room. Gasps of shock were what greeted Adonis as the knight stepped through, ducking to avoid the top of the doorframe.

"Valkron, what--" began Iruna, rising from her seat.

"Everyone, get out," he said. "Private word with someone about to occur in ten seconds."

The room emptied quickly. Adonis watched them go without any expression on his face. Once everyone had gone out, Valkron stepped out and had a brief, quiet discussion with Emeth before returning to the room and closing the door.

Once the door was shut, everyone outside it drew closer, but the wizard stepped neatly in front of it, blocking them. "Not so fast," he said. "I'm sorry, but I have to do it."

He tapped the door and muttered something under his breath. The wood acquired a solid, glistening look to it, and everyone groaned in dismay.

Emeth shrugged off the protests that followed swiftly after. "Sorry, everyone. Even though I hate being used as a preventive measure against eavesdropping, it's something that has to be done. And besides," he dropped his voice to a whisper, "you all look like right idiots listening to a door."

Inside the room, Valkron tapped the door. There was a dull _thunk_, instead of the loud tap he had been expecting. He nodded in satisfaction and turned to Adonis.

"You can sit, Adonis," he said to the silent knight.

Without a word, the knight sat down. He did not move, but his navy blue eyes followed Valkron as the older knight walked around the table and sat down opposite.

Valkron interlocked his fingers together, steeled himself - Adonis was an unpredictable person, and talking to him was unnerving - and said, "So now that we're here, in private, where no one can see us, you can tell me your purpose for coming here."

The younger but equally senior knight commander surveyed Valkron. Then he said, "I was forced to resign shortly after your charge on Holy Shadow.

"Indeed?" Valkron raised an eyebrow. "So are you thinking of taking revenge on the Black Cross by joining us and helping us out with the biggest and the strongest guild in the kingdom?"

"I can help you," said Adonis, "with what the Black Cross is planning to do with you."

Valkron sat back. "It's come to this, hm? A bribe of knowledge?"

Adonis' eyes narrowed.

It was well-known that Adonis was heavily against bribery - comparable to Gillivan's own passion. Most people, upon hearing this, would be confused at this because Adonis was, after all, a knight commander. What did a knight commander have to do with bribery?

And Valkron (to whom the question was usually addressed to) would reply, "He is a senior knight commander in the City Division, Security Department."

But Valkron was, at the moment, not feeling too happy towards Adonis. He wasn't about to admit he had to drag a rival knight commander into his own flag castle for nothing.

After a long silence, Adonis said heavily, "Yes."

Valkron breathed out. "I was waiting for you to admit that."

"Why is that so?" The younger knight's voice could have slammed shut the doors of a mausoleum.

"Because in this guild we like to see a grain of honesty, even in someone such as you." He ran a hand through his white hair. "Adonis, you do know that there is no amount of whatever good deed you do for the guild that will make me trust you for as long as the Raulus exists, or you stay within its ranks."

"So be it," said Adonis.

"You also know that in any time of my life as a guild leader I can easily accuse you of being a double agent for the Black Cross, being that your sacking is your excuse for leaving it."

"In these times, I would let it be."

"In fact, I have many reasons for turning down your offer and letting you work simply as a knight in the Chivalry." Valkron looked at him in the eye. "Haven't you considered that before you came to me?"

Adonis stared back at him. At length, he answered, "Yes."

"So you've already weighed your chances out with me?" Valkron had raised an eyebrow by now.

"I'd prefer to consider my future instead of sitting around with my past, Valkron," said the black-haired knight. "Even if it means fraternising with the enemy."

Valkron raised the other eyebrow. "'Fraternising' is a bit of a strong word."

"Nevertheless, it is a word the other guilds will use."

This was probably true, but Valkron felt slightly insulted anyway. He leaned forward. "Adonis, if you consider this _fraternising_, I suggest you leave."

To his astonishment, Adonis shrugged. "Less trouble for me, less trouble for you."

The older knight sat back in his seat and stared at him for some time. Finally, he said, "Under probation."

"Thank you." Adonis rose from his seat, bowed and turned to leave.

The knight watched him g before exiting himself. The first thing he saw when he stepped out of the room was a line of senior guild members waiting very patiently.

"What?" he said to them, slightly snappishly.

"How'd it go?" asked Iruna innocently.

Valkron turned and watched Adonis walk out of Repherion. "I've recruited him."

Emeth, with great presence of mind, created a large ice wall between Valkron and the rest before the uproar started. Valkron waited until the din had died down, and then waited some more before the wizard eventually knocked down his own spell.

"He'll be valuable to us, that's why," he said, before anyone even opened their mouths. "I gather that Adonis is-- sorry, _was_ the main informant of the Black Cross. He may be a knight of the Security Department, but I can tell you truthfully that the members of that department are not necessary all brawn and no brains."

"But he's _Adonis_," protested a passing knight, who had overheard what Valkron had said.

"It makes no difference." Valkron gave the unfortunate knight a dagger glare. "Although I'll make sure he's going to realise that his talents are better off being used on the enemies of the Raulus and not us. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go and take a shower."

The rest of the senior guild looked at each other. Only Emeth yawned unconcernedly and returned to the meeting room to resume his research.

* * *

"You're getting used to him," said Iruna, later on.

"To who?" asked Emeth, not looking up from his work.

"To Valkron."

The wizard dipped the tip of his quill into his ink bottle and tapped the nib on the rim of the mouth with little _tink_ sounds. "I thought you are, too."

"But he's turning into the Black Cross!"

"Not necessarily." Emeth resumed writing his essay in elegant script while Iruna looked on with an agonised expression on her face.

"What do you mean, not necessarily?"

"Sometimes you have to make decisions that seem a bit ridiculous at times, even to you."

"That's not a ridiculous situation! What he did was unbelievable!"

"Same thing."

"It is _not_ the same!"

Emeth sighed and laid his quill down gently onto the table. "Iruna," he said, turning to her, "I'm sure Valkron knows what he's doing, and that what he's doing is the best for the kingdom."

"Have you been getting brainwashed by his 'warrior of the world' ideology?" asked Iruna suspiciously.

"Uhh...no. I'm pretty sure of that. Anyway, _you've_ been following his ideology, too."

"It's an ideology that just feels right," mumbled the crusader.

The wizard massaged his forehead. "Philosophical arguments are not my forte, I tell you. I'm not willing to try it, either. Look, Valkron knows what he's doing. We know what he's doing. We know what _we're_ doing; I'll be damned if we don't. Somehow being a warrior of the world is right. It just seems right to all of us. Either way, we follow it. End of argument. Don't push it. I meant that."

"All right, all right, but recruiting Adonis has got to be one of the most dangerous things to do!"

Emeth gave her a sideways look. "If Valkron didn't assess the risks of anything he planned, Iruna, he wouldn't be alive now."

Iruna sighed, as the wizard picked up his quill. She still didn't know why she did not understand Valkron. True, he occasionally made necessary, if cold, decisions...but recruiting an ex-Black Cross guild member was just not him.

"If it helps," added the wizard, "think of it as an investment."

"An _investment_? In what? Our timely deaths?"

"In the whole 'being a guild leader for the sake of the kingdom' situation," replied Valkron's voice from behind her.

She spun around. The knight was standing behind her in his plain brown shirt and trousers, and rubbing his hair with a towel.

"Iruna," he said, "I know it's hard to understand, but frankly it was the only thing I could do. Look, I'll be frank with you. Adonis is someone who doesn't easily forget wrongs done to him. He'll want his revenge as much as he can, and nothing will stop him until he gets what he wants. If I didn't recruit him, he'll probably be plotting our demise right now."

"Where is he now?" she asked, alarmed.

"Chivalry. He's back to his own work, for now. Probationary members don't get honorary guild leave." Valkron wrapped the towel around his neck and went over to her. "However, I know Adonis."

"Really?"

"Well...no, not so well," confessed Valkron. "But I can tell you this. He's a bit authoritarian, I grant you that, but when it comes to troops and being in an army - and by army I mean a _real_ army, not a silly guild one - he's the best man any sane person would pick to lead the troops and fight on the frontline."

"This is, as you say, a silly guild army."

Valkron's eyes suddenly unfocused. Iruna took a step back in shock. The knight appeared to be staring past her right ear.

After a short while, his eyes lost their glazed look. He said, very quietly, "I fear we're heading into a real war, Iruna."

"What do you mean?"

"It's not a guild war anymore." Valkron looked away. "We're heading into a tough battle with the Black Cross. It's not a matter of standing your ground and defending your position anymore. It's going to be a head on collision."

"But it'll be fine, right?" she asked desperately.

Valkron shrugged. "Depends on what your definition of 'fine' is. All I can say is that two guilds will battle, and one guild will fall. That's all."

He turned to go, but Iruna's hand shot out and grabbed his arm. Her strength was incredible; he could feel the blood in his arm actually stop flowing.

"Iruna--"

"You know something," she whispered, looking into his eyes. "You know something we don't."

Valkron looked into her eyes. He could see her anger being projected towards him - the wrath of a crusader and a woman. But behind it, he knew there was fear.

He reached up and prised her fingers off his arm. Then he replied, "I cannot say."

"You're not going anywhere until you tell me what it is!"

"I can't."

"Don't tell me that, you're just trying to--"

"Iruna, I said I can't!"

Emeth looked up from his work, startled. Fortunately for Valkron, he was the only one besides Iruna in the room.

The crusader's eyes narrowed. "You trust me, don't you?"

"It's not a matter of trust, Iruna," he replied. "It's a matter of balance. Because of balance, I can't tell you the parts I'm not supposed to tell anyone. No one knows except me, not even Emeth."

"Then why can't you tell me?"

"Because you won't be able to accept it," he told her calmly. "No one will be, until the time comes. No, don't give me that look. I know you won't accept it. Besides..." He looked at her.

The room held its breath. Emeth wasn't even moving.

"...it would be an absolute nightmare for me to tell you, and it would break my heart." He closed his eyes and shook his head. "I've been broken hundreds of times, and I don't want to do it again. Who knows...I might have already reached my limit."

He turned and walked off. Iruna watched him go, unable to counter his answer. She chewed her lip instead - an irritating habit she had picked up from Valkron - and felt that she had been very, very close to hurting him again.

* * *

Alya approached Vineis' door carefully. She had been spending most of her days in Gondul and Nuernberg since the loss of Bright Arbor; the sage felt that she could no longer visit the South again after her defeat.

But she was more worried about Vineis than her own status. Just recently she had heard him shouting several times in his room, and a few seconds later a much harried subordinate would sprint out of the room and flee down the stairs. He had not been seeing her recently, either.

Besides, she had news to tell him. She wondered if he was in any state to accept them or not, but she had to do it. He was her husband, after all.

The sage knocked hesitantly on the door before listening carefully to it. There was no reply from within, no sound at all. Feeling significantly anxious, she knocked the door a little harder.

Only after the third knocking, which had taken form of a sharp rapping by now, did Vineis answer. "Come in."

Alya turned the door handle and sidled in, carefully closing the door behind her. She also locked it. Vineis often left the key in the lock.

The wizard was sitting at his desk, supporting his forehead with one arm and staring rather wearily at a sheaf of papers in front of him. His other hand was fiddling with his quill absently. She went over to him and put a cautious hand on the one holding the quill. "Vineis?"

He gave a start. "Oh - it's you," he remarked, sinking back down in his seat.

"Are you all right?" She took the quill from him, just in case, and laid it down on the table. "People say you've not been feeling well."

"I'm fine." Vineis gathered up the papers in front of him and straightened them. "I'm just trying to control my anger. I can't get angry."

Alya nodded. She knew this, although he refused to tell her why.

"Somehow I just don't know what to do with the Raulus. Valkron's adapting to this whole thing faster than I expected. I have a bad feeling about this."

"You can do anything, Vineis," said Alya, putting an arm around his shoulders. "You've got the drive and the shrewdness to do it, and you've been doing it for six months."

"Then it's time I took a break." Vineis thumped the sheaf of papers down onto the side of the table a tad viciously, as if it had insulted him in some way.

Alya smiled a little, despite her worry. "You deserve one. Come on, move up. I want to sit next to you."

She sat down and put her arms around his neck. "You should stop shouting at other people. It's not good for you health, and they get scared of you. Even Sheuth doesn't dare come in - which I think is a good thing."

They sat for a while. Then Vineis said, "It's been a long time since we sat together."

"Yeah."

Silence. Then the wizard asked, "Why don't you like Sheuth?"

"I feel he's someone you can't trust," she replied, a little fiercely. "He seems to be plotting something behind his back, and I think it's something to do with the Black Cross. Not with the other guilds."

"It's not like I can't agree with you," Vineis told her quietly, "but I don't believe it. Why would Sheuth try to do something behind my back? Eventually everything that gets hidden is revealed, and everyone will know what is truly happening."

"Even so--"

"Even so Sheuth has nothing to hide from me," he said, a little sharply. "We have known each other since we were young."

Alya kept quiet at this. Vineis, aware that he had probably used a sharper tone than necessary, kept silent as well. They sat together in that silence for some time.

Finally, Alya decided it was time. She took her arms away and sat up. As Vineis looked at her in surprise, she took his arms. "Vineis," she said, "I've got something to tell you."

"Is it good or bad?" he asked, immediately.

"I don't know. It depends on your point of view. I for one consider it good...well, up to a certain extent." She smiled apologetically at Vineis' expression. "Why do you ask?"

"Considering that I've been listening to bad news over the past few weeks, I'd like to have something good for a change," he replied. "But if isn't that good, well..."

"I suggest you hear me out, though," she said quietly. "You may never know."

"It might relieve my stress a little," Vineis persisted, clearly worried. "But it sounds very serious, and it concerns you. If it concerns you, then I might have to get involved - how deep, I don't know."

This time, Alya laughed. "Oh, Vineis," she said, caressing his cheek, "sometimes you care too much. Now, do you want to listen or not? If you don't I might as well just leave. I have work to do, too."

"All right, all right, I'll listen," he said, clearly giving in.

Alya looked into his eyes steadily. He returned it with an equally steady gaze, trusting her and willing her to trust him. Their noses were an inch apart.

The sage took a deep breath. "Vineis," she said, "I'm with child."

It took a few minutes for him to realise the meaning of this, probably because some inbuilt instinct to survive had probably written the words out on the backs of his eyeballs and gone and hid while the red hot pain flashed through his mind. When he did speak, however, it came out with a slight stammer. "H-How can you be so sure?"

"I just...went to see the priests," she replied. "I didn't feel well, so I went and consulted them. They're sure of it."

Vineis' eyes were so wide she could see the whites all around. "How...did it happen?"

"The usual way, I hope," she said, with a nervous laugh. Vineis' stunned responses were getting to her. She was starting to think that it had thrown him off balance.

The wizard still stared at her. She felt her smile drain away. "Vineis, are you all right?"

"All right? What do you mean..." His voice trailed off. Then his eyes reverted back to their normal shapes, a smile broke out on his face, and Alya suddenly found herself in an embrace.

"Of course I'm all right!" he said, laughing. "I'm sorry, did I make you worry?"

"A bit," she admitted.

"I'm fine." He pulled her to him and let the tips of their noses touch. "It's good news. I just couldn't believe it, but...well...I just never imagined such a thing would ever happen in my life."

"Well, now it has," she said. She looked at his face, and was suddenly struck by how young he looked now, compared to when she had stepped into his room.

Vineis saw her look of relief. He smiled back. Alya found herself wishing that the others could see the cheerful, amiable expression he had.

* * *

Unbeknownst to the two of them, a shadow was standing just outside the door, so close to the door that it looked like a gross extension of the wall's shadow. There was a small 'hmph' from the empty air, before the shadow moved away noiselessly.

A few minutes later, Lucius came walking down the corridor towards Vineis' room when a door opened from the wall he was walking along. He nearly walked into it, but stopped himself in time.

"Sheuth?" he asked in surprise.

The rogue coughed. "What is it?"

"What are you doing in there?"

"That's the old archive, if you were wondering." Sheuth waved off the dust that had trailed along with him, coughing. "Vineis asked me to get some documents from there. He wants to compare economy reports again."

Lucius gave him a look. "Vineis asked you that?"

"Yes. Why are you looking at me like that?"

The assassin shrugged. "Nothing. It is just that you seem to be carrying out orders with your own jurisdiction, and yet saying that Vineis ordered you to do so. I was just wondering if that was genuine."

The corner of the rogue's mouth twitched. "Don't simply accuse me of anything, Lucius! You've always hungered for my position, I know! Don't try anything with me!"

"I never said I was accusing you of anything--"

"What the heck is going out here?" asked Vineis, who had opened his door and poked his head out. "What are you doing? Not arguing, I hope? I know I heard raised voices outside my door."

"Nothing's going on," said Sheuth grumpily.

"Everything is fine, sir," said Lucius calmly.

Vineis gave them one last look, and then said to Sheuth, "Are those the old reports from before?"

"Yes."

"May I have them? Thank you. Please don't stir up unnecessary trouble. Lucius, I'd like you to get the whole senior circle together in the Green Room upstairs. I have news for you, as well as discussing the preparations for reinforcing our defences for the next War of Emperium."

"Yes, sir," said Lucius.

When Vineis had closed the door, Lucius turned to Sheuth. "I warn you," he said, in a low voice. "If you _dare_ lay a finger on Alya, or do anything to Vineis, the entire senior circle will be upon you. Do not invoke our wrath."

Sheuth smiled mirthlessly. "Why would I do anything to Vineis? My best interests are to protect him from anything that endangers his life, and to protect whatever is precious to him as well. Doesn't that count Alya?"

The assassin raised an eyebrow. "Then see to it that you keep your word, Sheuth," he said, snapping the rogue's name so vehemently that Sheuth took a step back. Then, in a whirl of deep violet and pale white bandages, he turned away and went back down the way he had come.

Sheuth went back to his room, simmering in anger. The very first thing he did once he had locked his door was to pick up the piece of paper he had been staring at for the past few weeks and pencil in 'Lucius' at the top of it, in rogue code.

* * *

Valkron had not planned anything for the next War of Emperium, save for defences. Britoniah was now well covered by Eyorbriggar's Forest Scouts, who replaced Shen's Rangers as patrollers and gatekeepers. He also moved Yesnelph's Iron Guards to Merseitzdeitz as a frontline defence. The Iron Guards were the equivalent of Shen's Heavy Arms - indeed, many of the Iron Guards had been trained by Shen himself.

So it came as a small shock to him when a combined force of Legionnaires and Guardians of Geffen bore down on Britoniah with vengeance and renewed determination.

"What's the report on both lines, Emeth?" he shouted over the din, as he helped the Iron Guards hold back the attacking forces at the south of Britoniah.

"We've got both forces forcing us to retreat further in!" Emeth shouted back, above the sounds of enraged yelling and cries of pain as both parties made themselves felt. "Valkron, the Iron Guards are fast losing to casualties! We can't hold them back for long!"

Valkron gritted his teeth. "Just do it!"

But Emeth was right. Within minutes, Valkron was very aware that he was almost at the steps of Repherion. Although the Forest Scouts had arrived by now, the reinforcements weren't enough.

"Don't let them push us back!" he shouted at the troops around him. "Fan out! If we need to win by attrition then we will!"

Just then Nocturne landed with a thump on all fours right beside him. "Valkron! They've broken through the defences at Bergel and Yesnelph! Yesnelph and Bergel are doing all they can to prevent them from breaking through and taking the emperiums, but only just!"

Valkron swore. "What about Eyorbriggar?"

"They're trying their best, but Albrecht isn't here to push them on at the moment!"

The knight mentally cursed himself for forgetting. Albrecht had gone for his alchemist's test in Al de Baran; no matter how hard the merchant had begged there had been no other available time for the test.

"Do what you can!" he shouted back. "We're already having enough trouble as it is on this side!"

The words were barely out of his mouth when there was an explosion. Valkron witnessed about twenty people fly into the air as Emeth unleashed his spells. The knight winced, but he yanked on his peco's reins. "Evlor, push forward!"

But he could feel himself sinking into despair. He had been too lax with the recent spy reports, he told himself, and he had been lousy at managing his resources. Previous preparations had not been sufficient--

"Valkron."

The knight looked on his other side, momentarily distracted. Adonis was on his own peco, wielding his powerful zephyrus in one hand and gripping his peco's reins in the other.

"Yes, what is it?" he shouted above the din. "I'm a little busy at the moment!"

"What help do you need?"

Valkron gaped at him, war temporarily forgotten. A huge mess was erupting at the front gates of Repherion, and Adonis actually asked him that.

"I need a lot of help!" he shouted back. "Yesnelp, Bergel, Eyorbriggar, Repherion - we're all failing!"

Adonis nodded. "Wait here."

The older knight stared as Adonis plunged straight into the group, his peco wading through the masses with some difficulty. Only when a blacksmith made a spirited attempt to dislodge Valkron from his seat did the knight commander come to his senses and fight back.

He had a feeling Adonis knew what to do. Although it was not a very secure, confident feeling, he decided to see what would happen if he did what the younger man had told him to do, even if it didn't seem very logical--

And then he saw the Merseitzdeitz troops suddenly spread out into an arrowhead formation. They charged into one side of the invading force. Valkron had a very good view from his seat on his peco, and he watched in amazement as the intruders scattered.

He realised that Repherion's troops were moving out from the area - and coming in behind the two enemy guilds. Despite struggling to stay together, the guilds began to split up, until two groups were fully isolated by the troops from both castles.

"Valkron!"

The knight turned. Emeth had come up behind him.

"We've just received reports that the invaders at Eyorbriggar are falling back!" he shouted. "Someone gave instructions for the Eyorbriggar troops to form into a fan formation and drive them back! Yesnelph and Bergel have successfully driven the other troops out, and they're coming to help us now!"

"See to them!" Valkron shouted over the din. He turned back to the troops in front of him, just in time to see them falter.

One of the isolated groups broke through and began charging their way towards Repherion. Valkron narrowed his eyes and charged at them, his scythe glowing yellow.

He held them off for several minutes, until he finally got his own troops to reform around him, and draw them away again. As he watched, his peco shifting from foot to foot, a thought occurred to him that he had been a fool all along. He should have immediately sent Adonis to organise the troops before the full force had come to tackle them head on.

This was because now he remembered that Adonis _was a born strategist_.

Fifteen minutes later, the Raulus had reclaimed Britoniah and was now holding back the enemy guilds from the front. Those at the north of Britoniah had given up, possibly because the forest there was far too thick to maintain a siege on what the Raulus called the 'back gate' of Britoniah.

Valkron found himself next to Iruna. They shared glances and nodded at each other. Iruna sheathed her sword, hooked her shield onto her saddle, and then pulled out a powerful spear from her peco's side.

They squeezed the sides of their pecos. The birds honked and plunged into the frontlines. Most of the comined troops of Merseitzdeitz and Repherion were forced to withdraw, mainly due to the fear of getting caught by the powerful spears of Valkron and Iruna.

But they kept coming, and with them even more knights and crusaders than what Valkron and Iruna had deployed at the front. Valkron felt as if he was under heavy pressure to keep them back.

"Valkron! One hour left!" shouted Samaroh and Emeth at the same time, from somewhere at the back.

"Just - a - little - more," gasped Valkron.

Iruna pulled him - and his peco - by the arm forwards. The knight swept his scythe in an arc at the sides of his peco, discouraging would-be attackers from climbing onto it.

But the sheer number of heavy cavalry on the other side were getting on his nerves. He was starting to go a little wild - his nerves were already frayed by stress, and no one was making the situation any better.

There were screams from behind. Emeth shouted, "Valkron! Iruna! Fall back!"

"Fall back? You're asking me to fall back?"

"_Do it!_"

Valkron turned - and then yanked on the reins so hard that his peco threw itself aside. Iruna had already done the same.

A lightning storm slammed down onto the attackers.

Amidst the streaks of white-blue fire, he saw Adonis charge straight through the storm and slam his spear so hard into the enemy that they acually slid backwards. Behind him, Valkron recognised, were the entire heavy cavalry of Yesnelph, Bergel and Eyorbriggar combined.

Later on, one of the knights from Yesnelph's Iron Guards said to Valkron, "We couldn't help following him. He just said, 'You're needed, so it's time you did a bit of punishing.' Well, it felt like it was time someone needed to get beaten up - and it's not us."

Valkron nodded, unable to say anything.

"Besides, I think if we had said no, he'd have done something to us." The knight shuddered. "I don't want to find out what _that_ is."

When the knight had met Adonis later on, the first thing the younger knight commander had said to him was, "If you are blaming yourself for not organising anything properly, there is no need to. No one can organise anything for the unexpected."

"Yeah, but I should know what to do," said Valkron.

Adonis, at this point, gave him a Look. "It's not a matter of _should_, it's a matter of _could_. Besides, some very discouraged individuals tried to discourage the rest of the troops by fleeing for their lives. Feel free to kick them off. I have already seen to them."

How Adonis had seen to them, Valkron had no clue, but after seeing them he decided he did not want to know. He struck their names off the members list and watched them go.

As he did, he absently picked up a spy report and glanced at it. He started to turn the page, and then looked at the front again.

Then he smiled wryly. It looked like the unexpected wasn't going to happen only to the Raulus.

* * *

Playing Warcraft III - for the 4th time - and listening to the good tracks of the Naruto OST do things to your brain, I tell you.

Because I'm at home, I have to do plenty of chores and finish up this and that. Above all, I'm trying to carry out my longed-for hobby of cosplaying (EXPENSIVE) and wanting to visit my old school. I've also not been playing games for ten months - I confess, I have an addiction for online games.

But my lack of internet means that updating WotW will be much longer than it usually does, together with the 'I take an average of four hours to write one chapter worth 20KB' fact. I've also been recovering from jet lag - I'm still sleepy - after getting my sleep schedule completely disrupted over a fifteen-hour long flight.

The good thing is that I have completed planning of Warriors of the World **4**. Yes, 4. You heard me right. No, I'm not kidding. ;D

Time to set my sights on 5.

I also can't do any artwork editing at the moment, so don't expect anything on that side to come along, either.

(note: on the internet issue, I walk to the internet cafe to post. However, I dislike the place strongly due to the fact that people game in there extremely noisily, and I've been forced to carry a pair of earphones with me these days. People smoke outside the door, and it's dirty as well. I usually go on weekdays because everyone is at school while I'm not :D provided I...wake up early.)

special note for FFNet: I have been forced toslowly release the chapters because 1) I wrote too much, and 2) I need feedback on each chapter. Besides, it'd save you some typing time trying to cover 8 chapters instead of 1.

Also, I'm doing this because I'm back in evil mode. :D


	54. The Lion Roars

Chapter 54  
**The Lion Roars**

The first thing that met Adiemus' eyes when he entered the meeting room in Repherion was the incredibly large amount of paper scattered across the table that stood at the centre of the room. He stopped short, partially out of shock and partially out of disgust.

"Valkron," he addressed the white-haired knight poring over several lists, a little severely, "_what_ is going on here?"

The knight looked up. "Adiemus! Um..." He started to scoop up the paper scattered across the table, without much success. "...well, we're just doing preparations, that's all."

"And of what nature are these preparations, may I ask?" asked the crusader, raising an eyebrow. He was wearing a brown tunic with a pale beige coat covering most of it.

"Um, well, they are of a nature you would not wish to pursue. And even if you do, you might have to call me mad at the end of my explanation," answered Valkron. The rest of the senior guild was by now clearing up swiftly.

Adiemus looked down at the table, where there were a large pile of rolled-up parchments blocking whatever Valkron had on his side from his view. He reached out and poked one. It fell off with a rustle and unrolled a little to reveal a section of what looked like a complicated map with routes drawn in red and blue on it.

Iruna picked it up before Adiemus had the chance to take a closer look at it and smiled sunnily at his suddenly blank face. "Sorry, Repherion business."

"You look like you're planning to mow down someone again and claim their castle, Valkron," he said.

"So? You seem to be accusing me of doing something."

"Yes, I am!"

Silence fell across the room. Everyone looked up from their clearing of the room, not daring to move. Raven poked his head into the room just then.

"Adiemus, what are you shouting for-- by the Brotherhood, what the _hell_ is going on here?" He walked in, not noticing that everyone was holding their breaths and waiting for the apparent wrath of Adiemus. "This place looks like a hurricane just wandered in."

"Raven, I am _talking_," growled Adiemus.

The rogue took one look at the crusader's face and backed off. "Sorry. Sorry. I'll just...go and pick this very interesting inconspicuous corner, my, this is very interesting..."

Adiemus ignored the rogue and turned back to Valkron. "What are you planning on doing now, Valkron? You seem as bent on this as the Black Cross."

"On what?"

"On this!" The crusader pointed at the scrolls and the general mess that the rest hadn't managed to clean up just yet. "Claiming the agits of the entire kingdom!"

"It's not as if we're on a power drive, Adiemus," said Valkron, who was the only one who didn't look alarmed or afraid by Adiemus' sudden ferocity.

"Well, it looks as if you are! Planning on becoming the next Black Cross, is it?"

Valkron set down the sheaf of papers he had taken from the table. "Is there a problem?" he asked tiredly. "I've had enough of people who are sick of something I do, and come and tell me off indirectly. First Emeth, now you."

"Hey, don't look at me. I regret that," added the wizard, waving his hands at Adiemus.

"So can you tell me what's bothering you, and be straightforward with it?" continued the knight, ignoring Emeth. "Come on, Adiemus. You're not usually so touchy over things like this."

The crusader sighed. "It's been a long, hard six months, Valkron. Fine, I'll be straight with you." He leaned a hand on the table, which creaked threateningly. Nocturne, Samaroh and Aramithar automatically held up the table on the other side.

"First of all, when you started out you never considered what trouble you're getting into," he said. "You're in a dangerous game, Valkron. It doesn't matter that the Repherion Alliance is playing its own game right out on the Fire of Heaven Alliance, and it doesn't make a difference. It also doesn't make a difference that almost all the guilds of the kingdom are on your side - the combined military power of the Black Cross and the Seven Eyes is enough to wipe out a small country. To them we're just interfering village leaders in their big plans. Either that, or we're pawns in their game.

"Secondly, you are appearing to become like them. Ambitious, power-hungry, greedy and threatening. It's not a bad thing to have those qualities, but to have them in moderation - in _moderation_, Valkron - is the key to winning. The kingdom doesn't need another Black Cross taking over the agits, but unfortunately you're presenting that image to the entire kingdom and its people. Have you forgotten your true aim and purpose in the War of Emperium, Valkron?"

Valkron picked up a map and rolled it up in silence. Everyone was now watching him, waiting for his answer with baited breath.

Then he said, "Let me tell you this, Adiemus. I for one can't figure out what the heck you do in the Junoan Church in your free time - assuming you do have free time, that is - because you would know the current situation in the kingdom and outside it as well."

"The War of Emperium is not related to external affairs."

"Oh, it is. It very much is, Adiemus." Valkron looked at the crusader in the eye. "Whatever game I've been involved in, I'm at the moment not taking it into consideration, because our kingdom itself is in the same danger as us. External relations between the Schwartzwald Republic and Rune-Midgard are fraying."

"So what does you taking all the agits have to do with the relationship?"

"The Black Cross doesn't give a damn for the kingdom," answered the knight. "All it wants is to establish a presence and make people acknowledge that presence. Don't you recognise a young man's heart's desire when you see one? It's not that I'm going to completely crush the Black Cross. They can keep the Valkyrie Realms. I, however, am setting up defences elsewhere whether the kingdom likes it or not."

"Still following your 'warrior of the world' concept?" asked Adiemus dryly.

"If I am, what's wrong with it?"

"You're waltzing with death, that's what you're doing! And your guild members as well!" Adiemus nodded at the others, who were staring wide-eyed at him. "If they believe in the concept, of course."

Valkron's eyes narrowed. He straightened up.

"If I die for what I believe in, that's fine with me," he said. "The others don't have to."

"So they accept your orders without question?"

"We know him," said Nocturne quietly, blinking disconcertingly at Adiemus. "We know why he's doing it. He's told us we have a choice, so we'll make that choice when the time comes."

As Adiemus stared at the hunter, Valkron said, "I get my orders questioned every day, Adiemus. Nocturne's a fine example - won't stop asking until he's understood what I want. Samaroh does it to me to make sure I know what I'm doing. Iruna does it to me to remind me of my purpose as a guild leader. I get it all the time." He spread his arms wide. "They all do it to me."

"We've kept our promise, Adiemus," said Iruna. "Our guild has no less than two hundred members, and our membership has closed. We're not intending for military power to fight other countries - we're preparing defences. Nothing more."

"Those who desire for war, prepare for war," said Adiemus. "You know that phrase."

"And you're not fine with it?" asked Valkron. "I'm not desiring for war, Adiemus. I dislike war. But when others force it on us, we've got no choice but to fight back."

"Of course I'm not," replied the crusader.

"I'm pretty fine with his decision," said Raven, from his apparently inconspicuous corner. "I don't see what's wrong with it."

"Have your eyes been covered by a veil, Raven?" asked the crusader. "They should be! You've been blinded by vengeance, haven't you?"

"What-- No, I haven't!" Raven got off the wall he was leaning against. "I'm not saying that the Black Cross and the Seven Eyes need to take a lesson or two. It's just that...well, being a senior rogue in the Brotherhood make syou very sensitive to political currents. What he says is right, and the true purpose of the Raulus is to _defend the world no matter what_."

"Consider it an investment, Adiemus," said Valkron, before the crusader could reply. "If we don't do this, our kingdom's future is not secured."

"And how would you know this?" The crusader threw his hands into the air. "If you're basing it on unfounded knowledge, then I can't take your word for it!"

"I know, Adiemus."

Adiemus opened his mouth to retort, and then suddenly realised that Valkron's eyes had unfocused. He slowly shut his mouth.

After a few minutes, Iruna gave him a slap on the back, causing him to cough. He shook his head vigorously and straightened up.

"Sorry," she said to Adiemus. "He's been doing this for some time. Don't worry, he's fine."

"Any objections?" Valkron asked Adiemus.

"You and your concepts," said the crusader bitterly. "All I can do is stand aside and watch."

Valkron softened when he saw Adiemus' expression. "I can't help it, Adiemus," he said. "It's something I _have_ to do."

"So what are you planning on now?" asked Raven. "You seem quite serious."

The knight picked up the papers on the table. "Let's play ball."

* * *

David watched the hour hand of the great crystal clock in the hallway of Gondul as it crept slowly towards the golden two. He had replaced the commander of Gondul now, since the arrangements Lucius had carefully planned out had taken place.

He turned to look at the others beside him. The most powerful members of the inner circle were with him - Lucius, Kuroihi, Reita and Sedir. The only one not there was Naobi, who had refused point-blank to join them in the Valkyrie Realms and was most likely preparing defences in Hohenschwangau.

"Ready for anything, guys?" he said.

"I doubt the 'anything' you're talking about will happen," said Reital dully. She was checking her whip as she spoke.

"Why not?"

"Probably because we're all too prepared for anything that comes our way," answered Kuroihi.

David sighed. "You know, I really was expecting a more spirited answer. Even Finnagan and Missy over there are looking forward, getting attacked or no."

"Well, for your sake, I'm ready," said Reita, looking up at him and smiling. David could not help but return her smile with his own.

"Ready when it happens," said Kuroihi.

Lucius massaged his brow, but David knew he was smiling under his hand. "You are a lively lot. Of course we are ready."

Sedir simply nodded.

"Kuroihi, what's happened to Inigo these days?" asked the blacksmith, looking at the blind knight. "I've not seen him for a few months."

"Set him to training hard," Kuroihi replied. "Sagna's no longer a likely target for him any longer, since the rookie's gone to the Information Department. I'm glad of it - Inigo has enough on his plate without having to get distracted by Sagna."

"You make Sagna sound like he's a pathetic wreck who doesn't deserve to be in the Chivalry," commented Reita.

"I did? He's fine, but he's just too...soft. Like a girl."

"_Excuse_ me, Kuroihi--" began the dancer.

"Even being one of those trained under Valkron?" said David hurriedly, before his girlfriend could unleash a tirade on the knight.

Kuroihi shrugged. "What Valkron teaches them doesn't matter to me. The good thing about Sagna is that he stays a lot more focused than Inigo does. I'm currently having to give him a good telling-off every now and then to keep his focus in sight, but I swear the corporal just doesn't listen."

"You probably want some revenge on Valkron for beating you up that time, too," said David. "Who wouldn't want to?"

"Because an angry man will make mistakes," interrupted Lucius. "That is why Kuroihi is always calm. He knows he will be careless if he lets his desire for revenge get the better of him."

"Valkron got angry," said Reita.

"Valkron is not an ordinary knight."

"I've always wondered about that," said Sedir thoughtfully, startling the others. "What gives him the strength to fight like he does? It's as if something is giving him power--"

Just then the horns blared. Everyone jumped, and then looked around embarrassedly.

"Right, guys," David called out. "Let's go and meet 'em!"

Within minutes they had gone to their respective castles. David hefted his hammer and waited for any potential attackers.

Barely half an hour had passed when a few guilds charged into the Valkyrie Realms and made a beeline for Gondul. Vineis even joined David in holding them back, which was done with amazing ease.

However, the real challenge only started when a runner reached David and, too impatient to ask for his attention, yanked him on the sleeve. He quickly whispered something into the blacksmith's ear, and then hurried off.

David stared in shock at the horizon, his mouth open, battle forgotten. Eventually Reita, who had come to help, flicked him with the end of her whip.

"What _are_ you doing, David?" she asked him. "You don't have time to stand and stare!"

He came to his senses. "Where's Kuroihi?"

"Kuroihi? He's just outside Kriemhild, driving off the attackers, but why do you need him now?"

"Get him over here! He's got to go over to Luina straightaway!"

"I'm going over to Kriemhild, David. Let me pass the message." Reita frowned. "Why does he need to go to Luina now? Everything's happening here, isn't it?"

David looked at her. Reita took a step back at the sight of the shock in her boyfriend's eyes.

"The Raulus is attacking Neuschwanstein!"

* * *

By the time Kuroihi got to the gates of the first castle in Luina, the Neuschwanstein troops were seeing to each other's injuries. The more able-bodied ones went to greet him.

"Where are they?" was the first thing he asked them, as soon as he sensed them within hearing range.

"They're inside the castle, sir," replied someone. "We've got too many casualties to pursue them, but I think the third and fourth floor defences are dealing with them--"

"_You let them into the castle all the way up to the third floor?_"

The man who spoke winced. Kuroihi could be very direct at times.

"Um...well..." said another, who hadn't cottoned on yet, "...I think they've reached the fourth floor."

With an enraged snarl, the blind knight threw himself through the doors of the castle and made his way through the floors swiftly. He knew the entire layout of Neuschwanstein by heart after living it for so long, and therefore he had no trouble reaching the portals that would take him to the next floor.

On every floor he encountered more of the troops he had left behind, entrusted with the care of Neuschwanstein in his absence. Even through his rage he couldn't believe that the Raulus alone had broken through the defences and the offences. The Black Cross had underestimated the power of the Guild of the Phoenix, as it was now called because of the phoenix emblem the members so proudly wore.

The sound of metal clashing against metal and shouts echoing through the marble hallways reached his ears on the fourth floor. Kuroihi dashed towards the source of the sound, trusting his powerful sense of hearing to guide him. He turned corners, he skidded across the floor, he brushed his fingers along the walls as he made his way through the small labyrinth that was the fourth floor's layout...

...and turned a corner to find the troops.

Kuroihi's ears hurt with the sharp sounds coming from all directions. He gritted his teeth and tried to deduce what was going on.

By the sounds of it, the Raulus had forced itself onto the fourth floor troops and were now advancing towards the emperium. The Neuschwanstein troops were quickly fortifying their defences around the emperium, but he could tell that they were being picked off one by one. He growled under his breath and concentrated.

Kuroihi felt his personal space extend, as Vineis had taught him when he had first joined the Black Cross. He still felt indebted to the wizard for helping him improve his fighting. Now, with the ability to detect and identify the life force of certain individuals, he was certainly feared as a knight who knew where anyone was regardless of location. Even rogues and assassins kept away from him.

He could feel a lot of life force around. They still hadn't noticed he was there, a lone knight behind them. It would be suicidal to take them on all at once, but Kuroihi wasn't intending to fight them all. He was looking for the one man he had so longed to take revenge on--

There! There he was! Kuroihi knew he could not be mistaken. There was only one man in the whole kingdom who had that kind of life force.

And he was going to pay.

The blind knight darted forward, so fast that he was only a blur. He drew his masamune and smiled mirthlessly.

And then he...struck.

But the shifting life force he had selected was too fast. It had spun aside. Kuroihi turned to it immediately. There was no time to be distracted.

"You're finally here," said the familiar voice. "Thought you took long enough."

"How dare you attack Neuschwanstein in my absence, Valkron!" Kuroihi snarled, his muscles coiling up, ready to spring forward. "What kind of honour do you call this?"

"Me? Honour? I'm sure you know those two words just don't connect, Kuroihi," said Valkron. "I'm a mercenary. Does that tell you anything?"

"You have an honour to uphold, as a knight of the Royal Prontera Chivalry!"

"I did uphold the honour, Kuroihi," replied the knight commander. "I didn't kill any of your troops."

Kuroihi lunged forward. Valkron swept aside.

"Let this be our final match, Valkron!" snapped the blind knight. "I've had enough of you and your wretched guild! Get out of my agit!"

He heard Valkron laugh mirthlessly. "Giving orders to me, Second Lieutenant Kuroihi? Not this time! I'm not the knight you know now!"

Kuroihi sensed the air being sliced in front of him, and threw himself backwards. He heard the blade sing as it passed inches from his face. The life force in front of him was stronger than ever - so strong that he could _feel_ the emotions that Valkron was going through right now. Rage, ferocity, determination...and then he suddenly realised why he was feeling doubtful about going up against Valkron.

There was no fear. _Valkron was not in fear._

He heard the blade, felt the air slice again, and parried the blow. But Valkron did not stop. Kuroihi gasped as the air currents began to shift in different directions every few seconds; he only managed to block just in time every slash, every lunge, that Valkron was making at him.

And then Kuroihi launched into the fastest flurry of parrying and blocking he had ever done in his life. It was that, or get injured. Valkron was attacking him with the ferocity of a whirlwind armed with a thousand blades, and there was just no opening Kuroihi could detect, no sense of him being vulnerable--

Aha! There was one! Kuroihi seized his chance and lunged--

--and jerked his head back the last second. He was just in time. There was a sound that indicated his hair had suffered a slight slash. If he had continued his attack, he would have received a deep wound across his face.

Valkron was not showing mercy. Kuroihi could feel the vibrations in the floor as Valkron swiped and slashed at him. He kept dodging, ducking, jerking back, whirling aside. The air currents were being displaced so rapidly he almost had no air to breathe. Valkron was _fast_. Kuroihi didn't even have the time to raise his sword.

And then something slammed into his throat. Kuroihi choked; he was sure saliva flew into the air. The next second he was slammed bodily into a wall. He felt leather around his neck - it was Valkron's gloved hand.

Instinctively the blind knight reached up to pull off Valkron's hand.

"Drop your sword, you bloody fool, or you're going to slice open your cheek," growled Valkron.

Kuroihi suddenly felt like he wasn't going to disobey Valkron. His sword hit the floor with a clang.

"Why, Valkron?" he gasped, struggling to remove the knight commander's iron grip on his neck. "Why Neuschwanstein? Why the Black Cross? _Why_"

"Just as you said that you're sick and tired of my guild, I'm sick and tired of yours," replied Valkron. "I'm not interested in your guild's ranking. I want to protect this kingdom. As much as my guild is in the way of your game, you're in the way of mine."

"What - game?" gasped Kuroihi. His brain felt like it was starting to go numb.

"Don't muck about with me. I know the Black Cross is playing games with the kingdom. I've had enough."

Just then, Kuroihi heard a loud _crack_. It was followed by the sound of shattering glass. There was a triumphant cheer.

"We're not - playing games," he choked, desperately clawing at Valkron's hand. "I don't - know what you're - talking about..."

"I don't need to know, thanks," said the white-haired knight. "Get out of my sight, and take your damned troops with you."

Kuroihi struggled one last time, and then vanished. Everyone who was a member of the Black Cross also vanished. Valkron turned around and faced the pedestal, where the Raulus' own emperium had taken over.

"Good job, everyone," he said.

* * *

Kuroihi appeared outside Gondul a few minutes later. He staggered, and then fell. His troops reappeared around him moments later, still looking confused and bewildered.

"Kuroihi!" shouted Reita.

The knight heard her and stirred. He tried to get to his feet, but suddenly his limbs felt weak and feeble. It wasn't until he felt the strong arms of David pull him up to his feet when he finally stood, still taking in deep breaths.

"Kuroihi, what happened?" asked David's voice. "You're covered in blood and you've got a few bad cuts - Tyr's beard, what in the world is _that_?"

"Sedir!" Reita called out. "Get over here now!"

"What's going on?" asked the priest's voice. "Where did all these people come from--"

"Never mind about that, look at his throat!"

There was a short pause. Then Sedir said, "Someone tried to strangle him."

"But who?" By the sounds of it, Reita had turned back to Kuroihi. "Kuroihi, what's happened? You went to Neuschwanstein, why are you here?"

Kuroihi didn't say anything for some time. He felt as if he couldn't speak again. Just before the warping spells embedded into the castle walls had whisked him away, he had felt Valkron tighten his grip around his throat.

When he finally did, his voice came out weak and hoarse. "The Raulus...Neuschwanstein..."

"What is it?" asked David, although Kuroihi could tell by the sound of his voice that he already knew what had happened.

"The Raulus has taken Neuschwanstein," he managed to gasp out. "Tell Naobi - tell Naobi to prepare defences. It's a real war now. It isn't just a guild war anymore--"

And then he fell.

* * *

AAHIAMSOFORGETFUL.

More of the Naruto OST effect.

I can't believe I finished this in 3 hours straight! The feeling of words flowing from my brain into my hands without stopping is amazing - it's unbelievably addicting and far better than being high on drugs. I can't hear a thing when I type because I have music in my ears, but I think my parents are starting to think I'm going a bit crazy - I think I'm typing at least 70 to 90 words per second.

Anyway, I'm running into a few troubles with the story. It appears that I have to quickly write what needs to be written from now onwards to chapter 70 (good god, even _I _feel faint at this number). The problem is that I can't do a thing about it. What I _can_ do is keep on writing, and see what my music-fuelled brain springs out on me. I didn't plan more than half of this chapter - or rather, what I planned got replaced.

I did the Neuschwanstein attack from Kuroihi's point of view because I wanted to know how fighting felt like to him.

note: The Valkron you have just seen in this chapter is a Valkron you'll be seeing again soon. Explanations in the next chapter.


	55. Single Combat

Wow, I can't believe it. I've never written this much in my life. o.O

Chapter 55  
**Single Combat**

When Kuroihi came to his senses, he immediately knew he was in a bed. However, he didn't know where he was.

He sat up and turned his head, immediately extending his personal space as his senses heightened. It was a risk if his surroundings were unsafe--

"Don't worry, Kuroihi. It's only me," said Sedir's voice. "I'm sitting on your right."

"Where am I, apart from being in bed?" the knight asked.

"Back in Kriemhild. David carried you back here after the horns sounded. You're all right - just fainted from exhaustion. Although you had quite a few cuts, there wasn't much blood loss...but it appears you used up most of your energy dodging attacks. The cuts were made by the tip of a sharp blade nicking you."

"How did you know someone tried to strangle me, just by looking at me?" asked Kuroihi, bits and pieces of what had happened before the darkness had taken over returning to him. His voice was still hoarse and his throat felt painfully dry.

"You had a blue-black bruise on your neck," replied Sedir. "Here's a glass of water. Can you detect my hand? We're afraid you might be still a bit shaken."

Kuroihi concentrated, and sensed the priest's body heat near him. He nearly missed, but he managed to get a grip on the glass. He welcomed the cool flow of liquid down into his inflamed throat.

"Looks like the rest of them are here," said the priest, his voice a little distant as if he was looking over his shoulder. "I'll tell them to quieten down a bit. You're still in a pretty bad state of shock."

In a few minutes there was the sound of voices, and then Sedir shushing them. Kuroihi pricked up his ears. He had missed the others.

"Hey, how are you?" asked Reita, putting one hand on his shoulder. "Feeling better?"

"Much better now, thank you," replied Kuroihi, smiling a little.

"Glad to hear that," said David, clapping him on the other shoulder. "You've got a visitor."

Kuroihi frowned a little. Then he said, "Who'd visit me at a time like this?"

"I would," answered a soft, hissing voice.

Kuroihi couldn't believe it. "Naobi? You've come down from Hohenschwangau?"

"You're the only person who knows Valkron well," answered the monk. "Give me an idea about Valkron's tactics, and I will see to it that the Black Cross reclaims Neuschwanstein."

"Wait, wait, Naobi," said the knight. "You don't know who you're up against. It's not just a matter of 'give me your order and I'll deal with the fine detail' anymore. The Raulus isn't the kind of guild you'd want to practise that with."

"I'll see," said the monk.

"No, _listen_ to me, Naobi." Kuroihi reached out and actually grabbed the monk's jacket without any hesitation as to where the monk was. "You weren't in the Battle of Al'Zahur, so you wouldn't know."

"What are you talking about, Kuroihi?" asked Reita. "This isn't that stupid battle any longer!"

"No, but Valkron's persona from that battle is coming back."

There was silence.

"Valkron has several sides to him," Kuroihi explained. "There are stories of him going berserk - I've never experienced that before, but I don't want to - as well as the time when he fought with me. There's the famed 'killing machine' reputation that he doesn't show anymore. And then there's the Battle of Al'Zahur face."

"So what's so known about this one? And what makes him so fearful to you?" asked David - a little too scathingly in Kuroihi's opinion.

"You sound like you're being ignorant," the knight retorted. "Valkron is the one who brought the battle to an end by charging directly into the fray and defeating the leaders singlehandedly. He's not a killing machine then - thank the gods - but he still shows no mercy for those who oppose him. During the battle he was famed for thrashing people with the intent to kill, but not carrying it out."

"That's nothing to Naobi," said David scornfully. "Naobi always seeks revenge for anything done to people close to him. Whether in a killing intent or not, he manages to make his opponents fear him without even moving!"

"Valkron nearly killed me," Kuroihi said softly.

No one spoke. Unbeknownst to him, five pairs of eyes were focused on him.

"He was the one who gripped my neck and gave me that bruise. Seconds before the warping spell got me out of Neuschwanstein he started tightening his grip. He's warning me, and in turn I'm warning you. He means business."

"So do we," said Lucius.

Kuroihi shrugged. "Judging by how large or small you consider him as an enemy, it doesn't sound like you believe me."

"Nothing is impossible," said the assassin. "Besides, we can fully trust Naobi's strength in reclaiming Neuschwanstein."

When Naobi spoke, everyone took a step away from him. Kuroihi instinctively leaned away from him as well.

"He tried to strangle you?" The monk's voice became more malicious. "Then I'll see to it he feels the same as you."

"Naobi, I advise you not to kill him," said Kuroihi, still leaning away from the monk. "His guild is heavily supportive. You won't make things better if you do that."

"I won't kill him. I'll do something worse." Naobi turned away and headed for the door.

"What would that be?" asked Reita. They looked up at the monk, who had stopped and was looking over his shoulder at them.

He slipped on his sakkhat and made sure the strap was secure on and under his chin. "I will break him."

* * *

Iruna watched Valkron from a distance. She was wearing half her armour - as it was, the Raulus was now located in a dangerous area. If being surrounded by a guild that had the military power of a small empire wasn't considered dangerous, she didn't know what else was.

But right now, at the moment, the one who was the most dangerous was Valkron.

"I swear he's got the devil in him," she whispered to Kushana, who was standing next to her. "I've never seen him so determined and so fierce before. The way he dealt with Kuroihi when the knight came to stop us..."

"I wouldn't call that ferocity, Iruna," whispered back the huntress. "It's more like...viciousness."

"Hey, Iruna," someone said in a low voice.

The crusader and the huntress turned to see Emeth. He had to bend slightly to make himself heard.

"Is Valkron okay?" he asked her. "I've never seen him this way before."

"I should be asking you that question," replied Iruna. "Did he show any sign of being inhabited by the Dark when you were planning all this with him?"

"You mean dark clouds in his eyes, that sort of thing? No. I think this is him - or, to be more accurate, a _side_ of him." Emeth glanced worriedly at the knight. "It's like he's got something on his mind, and he can't get rid of it until he's seen the Black Cross out of Luina."

"Do you think it would be wise to leave him alone until everything's over?" asked Kushana.

"Leave him alone? If that was possible." Emeth's voice was bitter. "I'd say we try to find out what's wrong - or what's bugging him, at least. I'm not going to let him stew away like that. It turns him into something else, and I for one don't want to know what that something's gonna look like when he's turned into it. Don't you know what to do, Iruna?"

"I wish I knew, Emeth," said Iruna sadly. "But as you said before - I hardly know him. _We_ don't know a thing about him at all. He's never said anything was wrong to me, and that's considering how much time we've spent together alone."

"Has he ever given you a hint or something?" asked Kushana.

"As far as I know, I say no."

"Then we should try, at least." Emeth rubbed the tip of his nose. "Both of us could try, Iruna. We're technically the closest to him, you being his girlfriend and me being his second-in-command."

"I'm going to let that word pass for once," said Iruna, giving Emeth a look. "But I agree with you. Maybe there _is_ something that he can't get off his mind."

"Good luck to both of you, then," said Kushana. "I wouldn't dare approach him."

"I'm not surprised. But it's our job." Emeth shrugged. "Six months ago, I wouldn't have dared, either."

"So it's your job to see that your guild leader doesn't go mad?"

"It's my job to see that my friend doesn't lose sight of his true goal." Emeth straightened up and walked to his seat, which these days was indicated by a stack of books he had to mark.

"And it's my job to see that the man I love doesn't forget what he's here for," sighed the crusader. "Valkron really is nice when you get to know him, but he keeps in too many secrets. Sooner or later he's got to get rid of the burden, and I'm going to make sure I know what it is that's bothering him."

Kushana watched Iruna go over to the table as well, slightly apprehensive. But she knew that they were the most important people to her guild leader, and therefore they had a chance. She probably couldn't do a thing about it.

Still, she left the room looking anxious. She did not tell her brother why.

* * *

The first one who tried was Emeth. The wizard tactfully shifted his books to the seat next to Valkron and then went and got himself a cup of tea. It was his only vice, and he did it when he was under stress, worried or tired - which was pretty much all the time.

After adding in a few spoonfuls of honey - he was not a big follower of sugar - he sat down with his teacup and stirred, carefully making sure that the little sounds the sppon made as it hit the sides of the cup did not seem to break the peace of the already quiet room.

He took out the spoon and quietly tapped it on the edge of his cup before putting it down on the saucer. Iruna watched as the wizard took a draught from it before setting down his teacup.

"Heya, Valkron."

The knight did not reply. There was a large stack of paper next to him - it seemed to be forms and reports that he had to read through and sign off. However, Emeth had decided that it was a do-or-die mission, and therefore the wizard was ignoring the silence the knight was giving him.

"You know, you could do with a break," said Emeth, aware of the lack of response from Valkron.

Valkron still did not answer. His eyes were on the paper in front of him, his quill at the ready.

"Liek you said to me before, it's not good if you keep working." Emeth looked into his teacup, which was now half empty. "Though at that time I was a bit of an idiot, so you had the right to tell me off for being such a stubborn fool."

No answer.

Emeth sighed. This was it. He took a deep breath and said, "It's been a few days since we attacked Neuschwanstein. It's a bit unnerving for us to sit in the same area as the Black Cross, and at such close distance, too. But the thing is...you're even more unnerving by not talking to us, y'know."

No answer.

"Iruna's worried about you, mate. She thinks you're going on your own drive again, and you know how destructive that can get. Listening to what you think you need but you actually just want...believe me, I know how it feels. I regret ever doing it. You've also been quite vicious and everything to the enemy - the way you cleared them out even made me feel a bit of sympathy for them. It just isn't you, you know what I mean? It just isn't you to not be merciful."

No answer.

"Whenever you act like this I get the feeling you're being bugged about something that you just don't want to think about," said Emeth, who was now uncomfortably aware of the situation. "And whenever you do that you keep it all in, but it doesn't work well for you and it sure as hell doesn't work for us. So...um...I'd just like to suggest that you tell it to us. You know. Um."

Valkron picked up his quill and signed at the bottom of the paper he had been reading. Then he pushed it to one side, looked up at Emeth and said quietly, "I'm fine."

The wizard snorted, but he was secretly relieved that the knight was not going to blast him. "Yeah right, like I believe that."

"I assure you, I'm fine. There's nothing to worry about me for now."

Emeth sighed. "You know, there's this disquieting expression in your eyes that tells me everything's _not_ okay. Don't lie to me, Valkron. I really dislike it when people lie to me. It's as if I can't be trusted with anything." He turned his head, so that he was gazing straight into Valkron's eyes. "Do you trust me?"

Iruna found herself holding her breath.

Valkron held the wizard's gaze. He said quietly, "Even if I do trust you, Emeth, there are some things that even I don't talk about. You find that out for yourself."

With that he returned to his work.

The wizard sat back in his chair and drained his cup without even noticing. He looked at Iruna and sighed, shaking his head. The crusader understood.

* * *

Iruna managed to talk to Valkron later, but only just. The next War of Emperium session was just an hour away, after all, and she also had to prepare herself for the next fight.

She managed to corner him, however. As the castle bustled with activity, she pulled him into a quiet room.

"Valkron, I want you to talk to me," she said. "I know I'm demanding something from you, but it's not an unreasonable demand. You _have_ to talk. I'm worried about you. Don't you dare tell me not to worry. I know you're not all right."

"What, you planning things with Emeth now?" asked Valkron. "Why are you all pouncing on me?"

"We're not pouncing on you, Valkron. And as someone who cares about you I have the right to plan with Emeth. He's worried about you too." She lowered her voice, although there was no one else in the room with them. "We've spent six months with you, and that's enough for us to learn about how you behave when something's surfaced in your mind and starting to torment you."

Valkron stared at her. At length he said, "It's not that I don't want to tell you, Iruna, but you've got enough on your plate without having to worry about me at the moment."

"I love you, Valkron," she said. "And that means I want to share your troubles with you, as I have done with mine."

"I know," he replied. "I love you too. And it's better if you don't know anything about me at the moment."

She stared at him. He looked back at her.

Then she said, "Are you trying to protect me from something I shouldn't know?"

"Well, it's that," he admitted. "But there's something else as well. I'm not bothered with the future, Iruna, that's all I can say."

"You're pretty bothered with the past, then. Your past."

Valkron sighed. "I can never get past you, can I?"

Iruna looked away. "Why do you always want to run, Valkron? Why can't you face your own life? Is there something that you can't deal with at the moment? At least tell me about what's happening. It doesn't have to be specific."

"No. No, I can't." Valkron looked down at his feet. "The only thing I can say is that I'm being fierce to the Black Cross because it's about time they know how to move aside for others, and that I'm focusing every single bit of my energy - and anger - at them. I have to prioritise, Iruna. This comes later. For now, I have to deal with Luina."

"And that's it?"

"It's all there is to it." He looked into her eyes. "Trust me."

"How can I trust you if you don't trust me?" she said.

Valkron opened his mouth, and then very quickly moved away from her, turning his head away. "I...no. I'm sorry. I can't say."

She watched him go, feeling disappointed and upset that she had to force herself to hurt him in order to get a response that hadn't even contributed anything significant.

* * *

A few seconds after the horns had sounded, the troops of the Raulus found themselves face to face with the troops of Hohenschwangau en route to the aforesaid agit. Valkron, who was leading them, found himself staring at a monk with green hair and green eyes, wearing a sakkhat.

The knight got off his peco. He did not feel safe. The monk was here for a reason, he knew.

"What do you want?" he asked the monk.

"I am Naobi," the monk answered in a soft, hissing voice. "I lead the troops of Hohenschwangau."

Valkron stared at the monk who had attacked Samaroh. Naobi was young - younger even than Sagna or Inigo. His thin face was framed with long hair tied at the back like Amaru's. Most of it was cast in dim shadow by his sakkhat, but Valkron could see the sea-green eyes under the rim of the conical bamboo hat. They seemed to be heavy, but they had a maliciousness to them he had never seen before in the eyes of anyone else.

"You attacked my priest," he said.

"Yes, I did." Naobi raised his head. His green eyes narrowed. "I have taken punishment for it."

Valkron was taken aback. He had never seen someone so emotionless, not even showing regret. There was an aura to him that the knight felt uncomfortable with.

"So now you're intending to stop us from attacking Hohenschwangau?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Fair enough." The knight reached out for his peco's reins. "We're still going through."

Naobi raised both his hands. His left hand he held in front of him, palm facing his right. He balled his right hand into a fist and hit the palm of his left with a slap.

Around them the troops on either side gasped. Valkron himself was doubting his plans for attacking. He had not expected the commander of Hohenschwangau to personally greet him _and_ challenge him to single combat.

"Let's make a deal," said the monk quietly. "We fight here, now. None of our troops move. If I win, my troops will leave unhindered to reclaim Neuschwanstein. If you win, your troops will leave unhindered to claim Hohenschwangau. No one shall help us. The first person to be unable to fight any longer, whether due to exhaustion or loss of consciousness, or the person who forfeits, will be the loser." He raised an eyebrow. "Is that 'fair enough'?"

Valkron considered this. He did not have much time, he knew.

"And if I say no?" he asked.

"Then there shall be no trespassing of agit boundaries today," answered Naobi.

"That's it?"

"No unnecessary bloodshed. No unnecessary fighting."

Valkron eyed him. Despite his doubt, he respected the monk for deciding this, but he knew he could not be too trusting. He knew now the aura Naobi had around him. It was an aura he had occasionally encountered in his lifetime.

Mercenary knights called it the aura of an avenger. Valkron knew that the name was just a pretty description. In fact, it was the aura of a murderer.

But he didn't have a choice. He had planned everything out, and the monk had disrupted it. Also, as a knight he was hard put to refuse a fair fight - like the one he had had with Kuroihi.

"I accept," he said, to gasps in the background. He released the reins of his peco and pushed it gently away. The bird honked in surprise, but moved to the side. Iruna took its reins and pulled the peco to her.

In his mind, he was quickly weighing out the odds against him. It would be no good if he used a spear, since it was heavy and slow, regardless of his skill with the spear. He had to trust his nameless sword, even if it just managed to give him a fity-fifty chance of surviving the battle. There was no point in thinking about winning at the moment.

He drew his sword. Naobi calmly cracked his knuckles and produced from a pocket a pair of gloves with sharp claws where the knuckles should be.

_I'm a fool for getting myself into this_, thought Valkron. _But now that I have, I must survive._

_I'll have to win, too._

Naobi struck.

* * *

From up above the battlements of Fadhgrindh, Reita was watching the event unfold through a telescope, with Kuroihi waiting behind her. David was hopping from foot to foot in anxiety and panic.

"What the hell is he doing? He's not supposed to challenge Valkron to single combat!" he half-said, half-shouted. "We're going to lose Hohenschwangau!"

"Now you tell me," said Kuroihi sourly.

"David, you know Naobi excels in single combat," said Reita, one eye squeezed shut. "It's something he's decided to do, and it's pretty wise of him compared to running into the Raulus head on."

"He should have stayed in Hohenschwangau and let Valkron and his troops run out of energy! That's what I would have done! Naobi's just as crazy as Valkron now!"

"Calm down, David. I don't intend to have a boyfriend who leaps around like a choco on hot coals," said the dancer, still looking through the telescope. "It makes me look bad, and it makes you look stupid. Naobi isn't you, David. He's got his own mindset. You can't change it."

"We've never been able to change it since we found him," remarked Kuroihi.

David stopped prancing around and sighed. "Naobi's going to be the death of us one day."

"Stow it, David, or _you'll_ be the death of me one day." Reita straightened up. "They've started. I can't see a damn thing - the sand's blown up around them and all I can see is just a ball of dust."

"I'll watch for you, then." The blacksmith took over and peered through it. Reita slipped on the cloak David had given her earlier and wrapped it around herself to keep warm. Even though it was spring, she was dressed so skimpily that it was still cold for her.

"No doubts about Naobi, Reita?" asked Kuroihi, as the dancer put on her own sakkhat.

"Of course I do, Kuroihi," she replied. "But I believe in him, too. When he wants something, he'll work hard to get it. He knows there's no quick way to doing things. If he defeats Valkron, that's going to be the best thing I'll ever see him achieve in my life."

"Sounds like you love him more than you love me," said David, who was adjusting the telescope.

"Must you be that jealous of Naobi, David?" Reita asked, an amused grin on her face. "Admit it, he can be more cool-headed than you at times. That's saying something, since he's always wanting revenge on people who wrong him or the people close to him."

"He's a lot scarier, too," muttered the blacksmith. "You could just say I'm with less risk."

Kuroihi sighed. "You two are very strange people, and I'm going to stand somewhere else."

* * *

Valkron could feel the sand under his feet slipping and sliding, but he did not care. Nothing mattered to him now except the battle. Even though sand occasionally obscured his sight, he was able to sense any shifts in the air currents around him. His senses sharpened temporarily; it must have been years of fighting in such situations.

But for now, he was weighing up his opponent. He could move fast, but Naobi moved faster than him. The monk had an advantage because he was not wearing heavy armour. Valkron caught him somersaulting once or twice over his head when the knight had expected to cut him then and there somewhere else.

The knight skidded forward and lunged in the same direction. Naobi skidded to one side and aimed a punch directly at Valkron's head. The knight gritted his teeth and concentrated.

He bent backwards, his hair flying up. Naobi's fist passed above his face, inches away from his nose.

Without looking, Valkron kicked out and caught the monk's ankle. Naobi responded by following the direction in which Valkron had kicked him; he withdrew his fist, slammed his other hand palm first on the ground and swung himself into the air. The troops gasped; he brought both feet down towards Valkron's torso, balancing on nothing but his hand.

The knight swiftly threw himself aside; he rolled on the ground a few feet away and sprang to his feet, his sword at the ready. Naobi landed on his feet and crouched, his green eyes staring at Valkron with such an intensity that the knight felt as if he was being stared through.

Monk vanished. Knight blurred. Suddenly they were in the air. Valkron slashed; Naobi somersaulted and kicked. Both missed by inches and landed on the ground several feet apart.

Valkron concentrated again. Yellow light glowed at his hands; his sword flashed yellow for a second. Then he was gone. Naobi crouched so low he was almost splayed out on the ground, but just in time: a blade swiped in an arc, just missing the point of his sakkhat.

Valkron hadn't had time to withdraw. Naobi leapt into the air and spun. The knight brought his arm to the side of his face and received the impact of a powerful kick aimed at his head.

Naobi wasn't done. Valkron felt a series of kicks to his arm, one after the other, nonstop, until he finally ducked and pushed himself away from the whirlwind of kicks. The monk landed on his feet, took a deep breath and slapped his palms together.

Five spirit spheres appeared around him, crackling with energy. Naobi squared his shoulders and focused on Valkron. All five balls of light vanished.

And then the monk was hurtling towards Valkron. The knight had no time to defend himself. He felt the air slammed out of him as an energy-charged fist buried itself into his torso; he didn't have the time to draw breath before he lost air again as he landed, sliding across the floor.

But a man lying down exposes more than a man standing up. Valkron quickly got to his feet, breathless and aching. He focused on the monk.

Naobi drew back his fist. The whole world held its breath.

And then he slammed his fist into the ground. Spikes of earth erupted from the ground, ripping up the cobbles that laid the area of Luina. They headed for Valkron, who still had one arm wrapped around his abdomen and was wincing--

The knight thrust his sword into the ground. The spikes crashed into the blade; ripples surged through the air as the impact shook the ground. People cried out and backed away as the tremors grew more and more violent...

There was a final blast of air. The spikes exploded into nothing; at the same time a sword flew into the air and landed some way away from the gathered crowd, sliding across the ground ahead of a trail of sparks.

The dust cleared. Valkron, now disarmed, was facing Naobi. Both were breathing hard, staring at each other as if the world was their opponent, and only their opponent. Of course, this was true, but for Valkron it now also included the fact that he had no sword.

Naobi relaxed a little. Then he took off his sakkhat and put it on the floor. He also untied his hair. In the wind that was now blowing through Luina, he looked wild and merciless, prepared to drive Valkron into the ground.

The knight snorted. He pulled off his helm and dropped it. Iruna, who was watching, suddenly realised that Valkron had not been seeing to his hair for the past few months, and he had used the helm to hold it back during the fight. It used to be at his jawline; now it spilled over his shoulders and hung around his face, no longer bushy.

Naobi drew himself into a stance. Valkron spat and raised his head. He looked, along the length of his nose, in what was a very insolent manner of staring at Naobi.

And smiled.

Naobi shot forward. Valkron stood there, stock still, his eyes on no one but the monk charging straight towards him. Around them people covered their eyes or turned away. Naobi was leaving a wake in the air, so powerful that it momentarily pulled watchers towards him.

And Valkron was not moving.

Five feet...four...three...two...one...

Naobi pounced.

But Valkron was gone. The knight, with amazing agility, had somersaulted away from Naobi just at the very last second. The monk landed, crouched, and was off again. Valkron turned, reached out--

--Naobi ducked--

--and a heavy metal shoe slammed into the monk's chest and threw him _upwards_.

Naobi somersaulted in the air and landed heavily, dust flying outwards when his soft shoes hit the ground. Supporting himself off the ground using the knuckles of one hand, he gazed at Valkron, who had straightened up and was now staring at him.

There was silence.

The monk vanished from sight. In a second he had run straight into the knight and thrown him up into the air.

But he had overestimated the extra weight the knight was already carrying. He misjudged the height and kicked out below Valkron. Naobi realised his mistake and made to kick higher, but Valkron had already seen what he had done wrong.

The knight spun in the air and slammed the heel of one foot down into the monk's chest.

Although Naobi had overestimated the height of his throw, he had still estimated quite accurately. They were not far from the ground. Unfortunately, it was this that Valkron used to his advantage.

Naobi hit the ground so violently he actually rebounded. Blood flew out of his mouth. All the while, he was staring at the shadow in the air with one thought in his mind: _Impossible._

Valkron landed not far off, seconds later. He staggered and went down on one knee, but he maintained his balance. His troops stared as he looked up at them, panting and bruised but triumphant.

Naobi was still staring into the sky. The sand under him and the clear blue skies with the yellow ball of the sun overhead brought back a memory to him, a memory that he both loved and hated. He felt himself relax, and smiled wryly to himself.

_Funny to know that a memory can occur twice in a life_, he thought.

His vision went white.

* * *

Valkron got to his feet unsteadily, clutching his abdomen. He'd made up his mind by now.

"You guys head on to Hohenschwangau without me," he said to Emeth, who was holding him steady. "I'm going back. There's only so much an old man like me can take."

"What, after doing those wonderful gravity-defying stunts?" asked the wizard, with what Valkron recognised was in relief and exasperation at him. "All right. I'll help you up onto your peco, and then you can make your way back."

"Thanks."

As the Raulus troops departed for Hohenschwangau, watched dejectedly by the agit's troops, Valkron turned his peco around a little. "Emeth."

The wizard looked up.

"Get Naobi to Gondul. He's young, but I'd rather not leave him on the ground. Do it as fast as you can, and tell vineis he can stop trying to force me down."

"Is it me, or do I detect a hint of admiration there?" asked Emeth shrewdly.

Valkron smiled tiredly and put his helm back on. "He's one of the best warriors I've ever fought. Great talent, brilliant timing, excellent strategy. Just not much experience. I've got respect for these people, Emeth, because they're amazing." He adjusted his helm. "I can give Naobi no higher praise than that."

Emeth shook his head as Valkron rode off. Sometimes his guild leader could be really odd.

Yay for Naruto OST. Felt great to revive something from the original Warriors of the World, too (i.e. the countdown of rapidly decreasing distance).

There's also an explanation why Valkron isn't a typical knight. Like the explanation for Emeth's fighting style, it'll be coming along pretty soon.

Naobi's past might get revealed as well. Stay tuned.

Other than that, pain in the arse was the continual misspelling of Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein.

The hitting of the ground in order to cause spikes similar to Heaven's Drive is a monk technique I added for fun (it was also in the original Warriors of the World - Aldev used it). Of course, like any other skill it has its disadvantages, but I'm not going to elaborate on that. There is also another monk technique I've added, but you keep on reading to find out what it is.


	56. True Colours

Chapter 56  
**True Colours**

David, Reita, Kuroihi and Lucius made their way through the passages of Swanhild in silence. The four of them had nothing to say to each other. What needed to be said had already been said.

When they entered the room, the first thing they saw was the silent, upright form of Sedir. The priest was watching his charge so intensely that he did not even notice the four of them come in.

"How is he, Sedir?" asked Lucius. The priest seemed to come back to his senses.

"I didn't expect you to come so soon," he said softly.

"Why wouldn't we? Naobi is part of our circle," replied Reita. "We have a right to worry about him."

Sedir sighed. "Well, I'm impressed. I discovered something while I was seeing to him."

"What is it?" asked David.

"The final move Valkron dealt him - the one you saw - was deliberately aimed to miss any vital organs that were in the way. The knight trusted the ground to cause Naobi pain, not his foot." Sedir turned back. "It was as if he had no intention to injure Naobi at all."

"I'm still not forgiving Valkron for doing that," said David, who was in a bad mood. "Even though his second-in-command took the time to transfer Naobi to Gondul and not just leave him there."

"Emeth did it on Valkron's orders," Reita told him.

"I know. I still don't think he should be spared."

"Don't argue over that," interrupted Kuroihi. "Whatever Valkron does is for his own good, as we are doing with our own guild members."

David looked away sullenly, but said nothing.

"So from what I can deduce, Naobi is fine," said Lucius, still looking at the priest.

"Yes. It will take him a few days to recover, but other than that he's all right." Sedir sighed and picked up the large brown leather book he always carried with him. "He is strong enough, and he doesn't need my help."

As one everyone looked at Naobi. His long hair was untied and spread over the pillow.

After a little while, Reita said softly, "I've never seen him so peaceful before."

"What, he never is?" asked David, surprised. "He always seems so calm to me."

"That's because you never pay attention," remarked Kuroihi.

"What the hell do you mean?"

"He always seems so troubled whenever we meet him," said the dancer distantly, as if David's statement was the only thing that had registered in her mind. "Of course, he's sworn to find and kill the people who attacked his family and took away what he loved the most, but the way he pushes himself to improve in order to do so...sometimes I wonder why people as young as him have to suffer."

There was silence. Then Lucius said heavily, "The world is cruel to innocent people, Reita. Why are you so surprised at it? I thought you would know, considering you stay with Kuroihi, Naobi and Sedir."

"I've always wondered, Lucius." Reita frowned at him. "You make him seem so inhuman."

"I never bother to ask," replied the assassin dismissively. "It is not my business."

There was a small grunt from the bed. Everyone's heads whipped around just in time to see Naobi open his eyes.

"Naobi!" exclaimed Reita. She scrambled over to his side. "How are you feeling?"

The monk passed a hand over his eyes. "I seem to be in one piece," he said, in his soft, hissing voice.

"Thank the gods for that," said Kuroihi.

"I regret making that mistake," said Naobi, looking at the knight. "I hope I will never do that again."

Reita held his hand. "It's okay. That's how people improve, don't they?"

Naobi's sea-green irises slid over to her. "Is Vineis angry with me?"

"From what I can tell, he is worried for you," Lucius answered. "He is coming along to see you."

"I don't feel like I can stay awake, not even for him."

"Is that so? Then he will come and see you some other time. He does not want to trouble you."

Naobi nodded a little. "I am grateful for that."

Reita straightened up. "You're dead tired, Naobi. We'll leave now, and let you get some sleep. How's that sound?"

"Wait."

The five of them had been about to leave, but they stopped and turned. "What is it, Naobi?" asked Kuroihi.

"I will no longer contest for Hohenschwangau." Naobi reached up to his forehead and massaged it, as if it still hurt. "Not because I give up, but because I have respect for Valkron. There is something to that man that is worth admiring, even though he is old and stubborn. The knight is experienced and highly observant. He deserves Hohenschwangau. If you wish to reclaim my agit, you may do so - but do not get me involved in it. I say it is his to keep."

* * *

Vineis drummed his fingers on his desk as he read the report. Then he put it down and looked up at the three standing in front of him.

"You've encountered Valkron before," he said. "What does it feel like to fight him?"

"His guild members are very supportive, and very powerful," replied Zweihaender. "Whenever he defends his castle, he employs them to the frontlines - including himself. The sight of the senior members of the Raulus is enough to make the most experienced warriors back down."

"That does include the crusader Iruna, am I right?" asked Vineis shrewdly. "The woman you once loved?"

Zweihaender's jaw stiffened, but he did not deny the wizard's statement.

"Personal grudges aside," said Arlena, glancing at the crusader, "I doubt attacking the Raulus would be easy, whether by attrition, strategy, or just charging head on into his troops. He has some of the best commanders under him."

"Really?" asked Zweihaender.

"You've heard of Shen, haven't you? Ex-Payonese Royal Guard? Shen led the palace troops before, to counter the monsters that attacked Payon from time to time. He has years of strategy behind him. Coupled with his excellent knowledge of the forest ways, he is no easy opponent."

"Do you know that Adonis has joined the Raulus?" asked Vineis, his eyes closed.

"What?" exclaimed Arlena and Zweihaender simultaneously.

"He wishes to take revenge on us for expelling him." Vineis half-opened his eyes. "I regret my decision, but it is over. Now we must make do."

"Why did you expel Adonis?" demanded Arlena. "He was essential to our strategies! Even though he lost Holy Shadow to Valkron, he only did so because his forces were overwhelmed! The Exodus Faction charged in while Valkron engaged Adonis to single combat!"

"Calm down, Arlena," said Zweihaender, looking alarmed at his comrade's sudden outburst.

"Calm down? Why should I? The Raulus prides itself on protecting the people by such underhand methods? What kind of guild is that?" Arlena shook her fist at the air. "And now they have taken Adonis!"

"Arlena, sit down. Adonis made the decision to join the Raulus." Vineis interlocked his fingers in front of him, on the table. "Valkron knows a good warrior when he sees one, so of course he would take the opportunity to recruit Adonis."

"What's his position in the Raulus now?" asked Zweihaender.

"Our spies tell me that he is now flag commander of the agits the Raulus owns in Luina." Vineis flipped through the report in front of him. "He is the leader of the Raulus' second guild extension, the Left Wing of the Phoenix."

"I can't believe Valkron would have the cheek to do this to us," muttered Arlena. "It's as if-- Oripheus?"

They watched as the sage got up from his seat, picked up a map and a pencil and swiftly drew something on it. He then went and hung it up behind Vineis, who got out of his seat to take a better look at the map.

The map he had taken was a map showing only the areas with the castles. Across it, the area of Britoniah within its breast and the two areas of Greenwood Lake and Luina in its wings, was a large phoenix.

"So _that's_ what the old knight's planning," said Arlena, as Oripheus returned the pencil to its original place and sat back down in his chair. "It's as if he's establishing his presence in the guild areas by etching the very emblem into the ground."

"He's not going to attack the Valkyrie Realms?" asked Zweihander. "That is very suspicious. Why would he leave the Valkyrie Realms untouched?"

"Because he is a knight."

They looked at the wizard in surprise. Vineis nodded. "Although he does not behave like a typical knight, he has honour and respect instilled in his values. He won't take what isn't necessary - and he wants to show that he respects the Black Cross, even though he drives a fierce campaign against us."

"If he respects us, he would have left Luina alone," said Arlena sourly. "That way both guilds could have equal share."

"You forget, Arlena, that the Raulus is part of the Repherion Alliance." Vineis looked at her. "One of the laws of a guild alliance is that the allied guilds must be given back their old agits in exchange for their participation and contribution to the alliance. The law applies to veteran guilds, and the Exodus Faction and Apocalypse Ultima are considered veterans."

"What about us?" asked Zweihaender.

"One more month, and we will be considered veteran guilds as well."

"I'd rather stop them now than wait for us to be qualified as veteran guilds," said Arlena snappishly. "They have to pay."

"Isn't that why we're here?"

They looked at Oripheus, who was looking at them. He tilted his head to one side.

"What do you mean, Oripheus?" asked Zweihaender, leaning forward to take a better look at the sage.

"Vineis called us here because he wants to deploy us in a bid to drive back the Raulus," Oripheus replied. "The senior circle is losing their grip over the control of the agits in Luina. Therefore, to maintain the balance, we must regain control of the agits we have lost. That is the order Vineis will give us."

In the silence Arlena said, "That's the first time I've ever heard you talk that much."

Oripheus shrugged. "I talk when I see the need to."

"And is what he says right, Vineis?" asked Zweihaender, looking at the wizard.

Vineis took a deep breath. "No."

They stared at him, even Oripheus. The wizard sighed.

"I'm not going to endanger your lives by pitting you against the Raulus," he explained. "Yes, you've gone up against him before. Yes, you were driven back only with the aid of Apocalypse Ultima, the Exodus Faction and the Defenders of Prontera. But with Adonis and Shen as his flag commanders, and Emeth as his second-in-command, Valkron has proven to us that he is more than a paper tiger. He keeps his word and honours it. What he's doing isn't a display of strength and power, but more of a way of telling us to not take him lightly. If he wants to help to defend the kingdom, then I will let him." Vineis closed his eyes. "The Raulus is a powerful guild in its own right - even more powerful than the Eye of Odin."

"You haven't unleashed Sedir on him yet," said Zweihaender.

"True. However, I am _not_ deliberately setting Sedir on him. I respect him as well, and I will not try to undermine him using dirty tricks."

"Sedir is the Black Cross' trump card!" protested Arlena. "He is here for a reason!"

"He is here because no other guild will accept him," Vineis replied calmly. "Sedir uses a kind of magic that will prove lethal in the wrong hands. However, because he is with us he does not use it without discretion. All he sought was a guild to take him in and accept him for what he does; he repays by not utilising his dangerous magic without permission."

"You gave him permission to use it on Horus, though," said Zweihaender.

"Horus did not give us due respect." Vineis removed his monocle and pulled out the velvet cloth he used to wipe the glass. "Valkron does. And because he does, I respect him for it."

Arlena rolled her eyes. "So we're just going to sit around and ignore the fact that at this very moment Valkron is taking the entire region of Luina out of our grasp?"

"I will consider this." Vineis put his monocle back on and got to his feet. "Thank you for coming here today. I am especially grateful to Oripheus for opening my eyes to the truth. You may go."

Arlena and Zweihaender exchanged glances, but Oripheus got to his feet and inclined his head slightly. "You are welcome, Vineis." He turned to go.

Not wanting to be left behind, Arlena and Zweihaender left with the sage. They made their way down the corridors of Gondul in silence.

After a while, Zweihaender said, "You wanted to attack the Raulus for a reason, am I right? And that reason is nothing to do with the Raulus taking over Luina."

"I want to fight Emeth," said the sage quietly.

Arlena sighed and shook her head in exasperation. "Men."

"I still don't feel too easy with the phoenix you drew," said the crusader, ignoring her. "You could have drawn the head pointing the other way, not at the Valkyrie Realms."

"I doubt Valkron would want to push past the boundaries of the kingdom," replied Oripheus. "Besides, he comes from Prontera."

"It makes it look like the Raulus is rearing its head at us."

"Probably a reminder to stand where we are at the moment and not dare to drive them back," commented Arlena. "Look, let's go back to the room Lucius let us have. I want to rest."

"I'm not surprised, considering you were at the brink of rushing out then and there to fight the Raulus with your troops," said Zweihaender, giving her a look.

"Oh? And you were browbeating those peasants to turn to your faith! You've got the persistence of a dragon, I grant you that."

"That was none of your business, Arlena. Do you want to go with her, Oripheus?"

"There are good books in that room."

"Fine, majority vote wins hands down."

They disappeared behind a tapestry. After a while their voices faded away completely. A few minutes later, a shadow that looked like all other shadows detached itself from the wall and moved off.

* * *

Two days later, Day of the Earth, 1:30 in the afternoon.

Arlena yawned. "This is boring."

Zweihaender looked up irritably from where he was kneeling on the floor. "Arlena, do me a favour and keep the noise down. I'm praying."

"You've been praying for half an hour."

"_You've_ been complaining for two hours."

"Shh," said Oripheus from the corner, still reading. Arlena sighed.

"There's nothing to do now that we're not being used for anything," she said. "I miss breaking bones and feeling flesh turn into pulp under my knuckles."

"Arlena," said the crusader dangerously, his eyes closed and his head bowed.

"All right, all right." The monk got out of her seat. "But you know it. Don't you miss the action, Zwei? We haven't been fighting at all for the past few weeks. I want to get out there and beat people up. I _know_ you miss the smiting and seeing the agony on people's faces when you cast Grand Cross on them--"

"For goodness' sake, Arlena, will you just shut up?" snapped Zweihaender. "I'm not as morbid as you, nor do I enjoy watching people suffer! I simply believe that the path to the light has a better benefit, and involves no blood sacrifices! Now let me pray in peace! I will finish shortly, and then you can talk a peco's leg off."

"Killjoy," said Arlena curtly. Zweihaender glared at her and resumed his praying again.

Suddenly there was a thunderous knocking on the door. Zweihaender and Oripheus looked up with similar expressions of annoyance. Arlena got to her feet and went to open the door.

It was Sheuth. "All of you, urgent order from Vineis!" he half-shouted, half-panted.

Arlena stared. "How'd you know we were up here?"

"Never mind that! Vineis has ordered for you to take your troops to Luina and drive the Raulus away from Nuernberg! Alya must be protected at all costs!"

Vineis had informed all the members of the senior circle of Alya. The three of them sprang to their feet.

"Time to get cracking," said the monk, smiling mirthlessly.

* * *

It was true that the Raulus was preparing to attack Nuernberg. After all, Nuernberg was back to back with Neuschwanstein; it was hard not to think about the Seven Eyes occupying the agit. Adonis, newly appointed flag commander and leader of the Left Wing of the Phoenix, had already assembled his troops at the gates of Hohenschwangau.

"He's waiting for your orders, Valkron," said Emeth, as he watched the knight buckle on his armour.

"I'm wondering if I should tell him to wait while we assault the gates first and make a clear path for him to invade Nuernberg," explained Valkron. "I'm not entirely uninformed about him, but he might have to wait."

Emeth shrugged. "Adonis said he could wait. He's very patient."

"For a strategist? Of course." Valkron finished buckling on his elbow and knee guards. "That's what makes him one of the best. Cool head, quick thinking, good application of strategies - sometimes even _I_ fear him for his knowledge."

"That doesn't sound like you," said the wizard.

"These days I don't feel like myself, so that's probably why." Valkron turned to Emeth. "Let's go. We don't have much time."

They reached the second floor of Neuschwanstein when a runner came to meet them. "Sir! We're under siege!"

"_What?_"

"The elite troops of the Black Cross have arrived at the gates of Neuschwanstein! They're threatening to reclaim Neuschwanstein if we don't leave Nuernberg alone!"

"Why are they being so protective about the agit?" Valkron asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'd rather not ask, sir. This is Zweihaender, Arlena and Oripheus we're talking about."

"Good point." Valkron turned to Emeth. "We'll need to revise our strategies. Get the commanders together, Emeth." To the runner he said, "I want you to get up to the battlements and tell our hunter to send a message to Adonis in Hohenschwangau. The message is 'Hold your ground. Neuschwanstein under siege. Expect no further orders, and do not attack without permission'."

"Yessir!" The runner dashed off. The knight massaged the temples of his head.

The commanders in Neuschwanstein were assembled in five minutes in the hallway of the castle. They already knew the situation, but they listened to Valkron without interrupting him.

"I want as many defence forces around the hallway and at the gates as much as we can afford to spare," the knight told them. "We need to shift troops around if they break through. There's no telling what they'll do to get to the fourth floor."

"Should we just leave Nuernberg alone?" asked someone.

"I have a feeling I know why the Black Cross is so intent on protecting Nuernberg-- Yes?" This was to the runner, who had just emerged from the stairs and had made it to where Valkron was standing.

"Sir, Adonis has replied your message."

"Read it out."

The runner cleared his throat. "'Orders understood. Request permission to send troops over to Neuschwanstein as reinforcements. Alya absent from Nuernberg.'"

"Ah, so _that's_ why."

"You should make it fair for them, Valkron," said Emeth. "Don't attack Nuernberg."

Valkron considered this, and then nodded. "All right. Tell him to withdraw for today. We will also withdraw and let Nuernberg be. Our next target will be Wuerzburg, and that won't be till next week. We'll take a break today."

The runner went off. Valkron turned to the commanders, who were muttering amongst themselves.

"I'm sorry about this, but I'm not going to risk going up against the elite troops of the Black Cross," he said to them. "I know we're all away from home, and we want to get out of this area, but the Left Wing of the Phoenix needs our help in taking over Luina. However, we're just not doing the dance with Nuernberg, okay? So let's just leave it at that--"

Suddenly the castle shook. There was an almighty clang from outside. At the same time, several scouts ran in, shouting incoherently over the cries of panic from the commanders and their troops; however, there was no need to ask them to repeat what they said. Valkron turned to Emeth, pale in the face and breathless.

The elite troops of the Black Cross had broken through.

* * *

Adonis could only send strategies through the mirror signalling system, but it was what Valkron needed the most at a time like this. He and Emeth positioned their troops in the hallway, while the others spread out on the floors above. The elite troops were moving fast.

When they broke through the doors, Emeth's troops were ready for them. He commanded all the wizards of the guild. As the elite troops charged across the hallway, the wizards unleashed their spells. Soon the hallway was filled fire, ice and lightning; the troops slowed due to the sharp corners and the poor visibility,

But they did not stop. Valkron took advantage of the mass of elements in the hallway to send out his own troops - knights and blacksmiths - to break them apart. However, he did not expect them to have such tight, secure formations.

The first wave that hit them attempted to force their way in using a wedge formation. The problem with Neuschwanstein's corridors was that the first floor consisted of a single, narrow corridor with sharp corners, and there was no space for a defending formation at all. Valkron swiftly organised his troops into a reverse wedge, in order to take the impact of the troops at the last few lines. He fought hard to drive them back, which they did a few moments later.

Emeth's troops, stationed on the sniper areas, began casting again. At the same time Kushana and her hunters joined them. Soon falcons were diving at the invaders, while wave after wave of cursed arrows showered down on them. They began to back off a little.

"Drive on!" shouted Valkron, pointing his scythe at them. "Force them out of Neuschwanstein!"

The troops surged forward. Emeth, with great presence of mind, commanded his wizards to rain spells to help drive them back. They were soon moving around the sharp corners when Valkron saw the second wave emerge through the doors and join the first wave.

"Hold your ground!" he shouted, clearly seen above the heads of his troops. "Hold your positions! Stand firm and don't let them through!"

And then an arrow buried its head into his shoulder.

He swore and yanked it out, a little blood spurting out. At that very moment, a third wave of troops slammed into them, and forced the Raulus' troops back further down the corridor.

"Hold your ground!" he shouted, wincing as needles of pain shot through his shoulder. "Stay them where they are!"

Suddenly he realised that he had not checked about the number of troops the Black Cross had at hand. He cursed himself for forgetting.

"Push them back!" he bellowed, pointing his scythe at them. "Move them out!"

The Raulus troops strained as they began to move against the weight of three waves of Black Cross elite troops. Valkron clutched his shoulder, wishing that it wouldn't be so much on fire. He looked up at the sniper areas, and saw Emeth nod at him.

Suddenly there was a united scream of fear. Valkron snapped back to the troops ahead of him, and saw the might peco thrust its way into the crowd. Knights and blacksmiths flew left and right; those who were lucky to avoid the great two-hand sword scattered frantically.

Zweihaender bellowed and brought his sword down onto Valkron. The knight parried the blow with his scythe.

"You and your troops," snarled the crusader. "Stand down immediately!"

"I was planning not to attack Nuernberg, and you do this to us?" Valkron snapped back. "Where's your sense of honour?"

"Honour?" Zweihaender snorted. "When you have no knowledge of it save for your godforsaken Chivalry? You know nothing of honour! The light has more strength than you!"

Valkron defended himself from the next blow. "This is not the time to preach to me! I meant what I said! I had no intention of attacking Nuernberg!"

"Intention or no, you've still gone too far with the Black Cross!" roared the crusader. "You've underestimated us, Valkron! Get out of my way! Neuschwanstein is ours!"

Valkron swore and charged forward. Zweihaender growled. Scythe and blade met in the air, and ground against each other.

They released at the same time, and then charged forward again. Valkron aimed for the gap between Zweihaender's massive armour, and concentrated--

--and suddenly his back exploded into pain.

Arlena somersaulted over his head. "Hold him there, Zwei! I'm penetrating the defences of the first floor! Hold the heavy cavalry!" She was gone the next second; her troops followed her at once, forcing their way through the Raulus' ground floor troops.

Valkron made to go after her, but had to stop before he broke his nose on Zweihaender's armour. The crusader blocked his way. "Not so fast, Valkron."

"Get out of my way, damn you!" shouted the knight, his patience breaking. The crusader laughed and charged forward again.

He did not, however, account for a wizard's shoe to land on his face.

As Zweihaender reeled, Emeth landed on the ground not far from them. He straightened up, breathing heavily.

"Emeth! What are you doing here?" said Valkron, in shock.

"Can't leave you to do a one on one with a religious zealot," replied the wizard. "Come on, Valkron! He's the one who wanted to marry Iruna!"

"I don't know what she sees in you," said the crusader, who had recovered. "You're just some old geezer! What's wrong with you?"

Valkron's eyes narrowed. "There's only one person besides Iruna and me who is allowed to call me that," he said. "You're paying for that, that's for certain."

Zweihaender snorted and charged forward. Valkron urged his peco forward as well. The impact of their hit was so strong they both fell off their saddles.

Zweihaender got to his feet, breathing heavily, his blue eyes focused on Valkron. The knight left his scythe on the ground and drew his sword.

Both men attacked at the same time. Zweihaender forced his weight down onto Valkron, who was less well-built than him, but the knight was not letting him take advantage. He concentrated, and his blade was suddenly ablaze. Zweihaender's nose was an inch away from the flames.

The crusader skidded off. The flames died off from the sword, but it was still glowing. Valkron began to whirl his sword in both hands; yellow light gathered at the blade. The crusader smiled wryly.

"Knight versus crusader," he said. "Let's see who gets there first!"

Valkron charged. Zweihaender slammed his sword into the ground. In a few seconds, a mighty cross of light slammed into the ground from above.

The knight had never felt so much pain in his life, but he gritted his teeth and kept on running forwards, along the great cross's arm. Zweihaender was right in the centre, grinning even though he was straining against the pain--

"Not enough!"

The full force of the whirling sword hit Zweihaender. As Valkron expected, the crusader did not skid backwards, but the blow was enough. Zweihaender stumbled; the cross vanished.

He did not expect the crusader to ram the hilt of his sword into his abdomen.

Valkron doubled over, coughing as the hot red pain numbed his bones. Zweihaender wiped the blood from his mouth and raised his sword, ready to bring the blade down onto Valkron's head--

Emeth struck the crusader in the stomach with his staff.

As Zweihaender backed off, Valkron felt the wizard pull him up by the coif.

"You okay?" he asked the knight.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Stay out of this, Emeth, you'll get hurt--"

"Stuff it, old man."

Zweihaender looked up - and frantically used his blade to shield himself from the wizard's whirlwind attacks. Valkron watched, slightly open-mouthed, as Emeth seemed to dart here and there, whirling his staff as he hit out, over and over, at the crusader's vulnerable points. Zweihaender's armour was so heavy that the crusader was unable to react fast to the wizard's blows.

Emeth skidded away and pointed his staff at Zweihaender. Ice rained onto the crusader; lightning struck hard the next minute.

The crusader staggered, and then looked up. Emeth was running towards him, ready to strike--

Valkron shouted, "Emeth! No!"

Zweihaender drew a white cross in the air and fired it at the wizard. Emeth dodged it, but he was not ready for the next attack. The crusader hit him across the chest with the back of his blade.

Valkron watched in horror as Emeth hit the opposite wall and slid down it. He weighed his sword in his hand and charged.

Zweihaender saw him coming. In an instant he had dropped the two-handed sword; he drew a one-handed sword instead and unslung the shield from his shoulder. He blocked Valkron's blow with the shield, and then lunged forwards with the sword.

The knight skidded out of range. Emeth was getting to his feet. Zweihaender cast a quick look around at them. They were alone now - the ground floor troops had gone to stop Arlena and her forces.

Suddenly the crusader threw his shield at Emeth. Valkron started forward, but Zweihaender forced him back. Emeth ducked as the shield whizzed over his head, and then ducked again as it came back to its owner. Then he ran towards the crusader.

Zweihaender caught his shield. He deftly held off Valkron while slamming the tip of his shield down onto the ground. The flagstones cracked under the weight; light flashed across the shield once.

Emeth brought his staff down, and was immediately rewarded with his own blow as the shield reflected it. Valkron snarled and hit Zweihaender's sword away before lunging forward at the crusader's exposed midriff. There was a _riiip_ and the sinking feeling of a blade cutting through flesh.

Zweihaender grunted. To Valkron's shock, the crusader grasped the blade of Valkron's sword and pulled it out. Blood sprayed out.

"You've gone too far, Valkron," he growled, as he healed himself.

Valkron raised his sword, but Zweihaender was not aiming at him. He turned on Emeth.

The knight could only watch in horror as the crusader slammed his shield into the wizard. Then, as Emeth reeled from the impact, he sank his blade into the wizard's shoulder.

Emeth's scream brought Valkron to his senses. He hit out, but only grazed the crusader's armour. Zweihaender pulled out his sword and sank the edge into Emeth's side.

Valkron said something very bad and kicked out at the back of Zweihaender's knee. The crusader went down on one knee, and Emeth fell on all fours, clutching at his bleeding wounds.

Zweihaender cried out in pain as Valkron drove the hilt of his sword into his back. He turned and hit the side of Valkron's face with the flat of his blade. The knight staggered; he felt something warm and wet run down the side of his face. The smell of iron reached his nose.

The crusader turned around and aimed for Emeth again, who was trying to get away. However, Valkron slammed into Zweihaender's back, causing him to fall; the tip of Zweihaender's sword nicked Emeth on the ankle.

When the knight got up, he was horrified to see the wizard writhing in pain on the floor as blood continued to flow. He ran over to Emeth's side.

"Come on, let's go," he said. "We need to retreat."

"You go."

Valkron stared at him. Emeth had managed to sit up; he was not a pretty sight. His cloak was covered in bloodstains, and the wizard's pale skin had blood smeared all over.

"You go," he repeated. "They need you up there."

"But you're in this state--"

"Forget about me!" Emeth pushed Valkron away; blood splattered across the floor. "Just go! Stop Arlena! She'll have all your defences broken in no time!"

Valkron stared. He was torn into two. Deep within him his knight's instinct to protect fought to win against the urge to obey Emeth's order. He couldn't leave Emeth...but the wizard was right. The troops above needed him.

"Emeth, come with me," he pleaded.

"No! I'll drag you down!" The wizard winced. "Go, damn it!"

Valkron took a few hesitant steps back. He looked at Zweihaender, who was getting to his feet, and Emeth, who was half-sitting, half-lying in a slowly spreading pool of blood.

"Emeth...I...can't..."

"JUST GO!"

The shout made Valkron wrench his feet from his position. He turned and ran to the portal for the next floor, trying to block out the screams in his head, the screams of despair at leaving his friend. The last thing he saw of Neuschwanstein's ground floor for that session was Emeth, slowly bleeding, gradually weakening, and at the mercy of an opponent more powerful and more ruthless than anyone else in the kingdom.

Emeth struggled to sit up, although his head was spinning. It was if a red mist was covering his eyes, as he looked at Zweihaender slowly advancing on him, limping slightly.

"It's now or never," he said to himself. "Now or never, do or die."

* * *

Word of advice to other writers: don't torture your characters like this. Really.

I didn't really show how strong the three Black Cross elites were earlier, and I'm not softening the blows this time. Yes, it's brutal, but then again I never said I was going to be kind to the Raulus.

Most of this chapter, while fuelled by Naruto OST (yet again), was actually inspired by a movie I watched before I started writing this chapter. It's based on Chinese history, during the Han Dynasty - about how a prime minister manipulates the emperor in order to control the South, and several 'rebel' leaders get together to fight back. Amongst the leaders there is a musician, and a scholar. The strategies they employed were shocking, but incredibly clever. The name is Red Cliff. It's not actually complete - the movie went on for two hours just showing the background and the land war - but it's worth watching. Just get one with good subtitles, if you don't understand Chinese.

Before I forget - again - the calendar does not actually follow real life time, but there are still seven days in a week, and twenty-four hours each day. Although the seven days are named differently, they still correspond to their real-life counterparts.

Monday - Day of the Moon

Tuesday - Tyr's Day

Wednesday - Woden's Day

Thursday - Thor's Day

Friday - Frigg's Day

Saturday - Day of the Earth

Sunday - Day of the Sun

The names of the four days in the real world are actually derived from those old names, which originate from - you guessed it - the age of the Vikings/Norsemen.


	57. Child of the Devil

Chapter 57**  
Child of the Devil**

Valkron had to fight his way through the Black Cross troops on the first floor to make it through to the next. He didn't even take stock of his surroundings. After a first few unfortunate warriors were hit, the others stayed out of the way and let him pass. Sometimes it was best to let sleeping dogs lie.

Iruna was surprised to see him, when he emerged through the portal. Apparently both troops were regrouping, which explained the sudden calm in the castle.

"Valkron, how'd it go? Is Arlena downstairs?" she asked, steadying him. "And where's Emeth?"

"Arlena's troops are waiting," he said breathlessly, not looking at her. "Zweihaender's brought extremely powerful heavy cavalry with him - he might be making his way up here any minute. Come on, we have to get ready to receive both their troops."

"Where's Emeth?" she asked him, as he limped towards the Raulus' troops. "He can easily prevent them there and then, can't he? His wizards are here!"

Valkron stopped. The image of Emeth on the ground floor flashed through his mind.

"Valkron! Why aren't you answering me? _Where's Emeth_?"

"He's handling things downstairs on his own!" The knight turned on her with such a ferocious snarl that she backed away. "Now get the troops ready! They'll be breaking through here any minute!"

Iruna watched him go in bewilderment and fear. Valkron seemed to have changed into someone she did not recognise - someone who was bitter and upset. Nevertheless, she hoped that he knew what he was doing.

The knight made his way towards the rest of his troops, who had pursued Arlena's forces before retreating to the floor above. As he did, he tried to block out the image of Emeth, but it persisted in his mind - a burning reminder that he had left his second-in-command to defend himself from a merciless crusader.

Valkron felt as if his heart was burning. He could feel himself withdrawing, turning away from the people around him whom he knew could help. But in his mind, he told himself _I am to blame. It's my fault. I shouldn't have listened to him._

_He told you to leave_, said another voice in his mind.

_He needed me_. Valkron clenched his fist. _And I abandoned him._

_Fine with me, if you want to be that way._

Another voice came into his head, but it was the voice of the wizard Devrion. Valkron felt the shock run through him as it spoke.

_"The people you love and care for will soon be in trouble. As you progress, you will fight for them, and succeed, but eventually you will fall."_

Valkron put a hand over his heart, but it did nothing to ease the pain. He could feel an old scar burning deep within his soul, and realised that he had never hated himself more than he did now.

* * *

Emeth watched as Zweihaender advanced. The wounds were starting to clot, but it would be a long time before the blood stopped flowing. He was already weakening - it was taking him a lot of his strength to support himself. It was like watching an imminent doom heading for him.

"I'm surprised your guild leader left you like this," said the crusader, hefting his sword. "I thought he'd be a little more considerate. He runs off because you tell him to? Hah! A man who is so easily moved by others cannot be a guild leader at all!"

Emeth winced as he struggled to sit up properly. The pain had become background aches, but they still stung, and he was already tired from the earlier encounter. The odds were up against him.

The crusader stood and looked down at him. "If I was feeling a bit kinder, I'd heal you so that you'd have a fair chance," he said. "But Valkron's put me into a bad mood. Your calling me a religious zealot is a mistake, too. Don't think you know people by their looks."

Emeth weighed his chances with the crusader. It looked as if his chances of surviving were almost nil.

Zweihaender was expecting the wizard to plead for his life. Instead, Emeth looked up at him and smiled mirthlessly.

"Why don't you practise what you preach," he said, "religious zealot?"

* * *

Arlena's troops broke through to the next floor. Immediately the Raulus slammed into them with renewed vigour and determination, this time enforced by monks, blacksmiths and crusaders.

Iruna fought to stop the monks of Arlena's troops from breaking through their defences, but she kept an eye on Valkron as well. She was worried for him. He wasn't talking much, and he certainly wasn't going to. She made a mental note to herself to talk him out of his state.

Suddenly a monk sprang out of the crowd. Iruna turned her head. She had pulled her blindfold down in order to keep an idea of the current situation, but now she regretted it.

It was Arlena.

The monk slammed into her. Iruna fell backwards off her peco and landed heavily on her back. Arlena pounced in a graceful arc, her knuckles aimed at Iruna--

--and received a kick in the face from Silas, who had just come in time.

"Thank you, Silas!" Iruna gasped, getting to her feet. Silas nodded at her and turned to face his adversary.

Arlena snarled and launched a series of punches at him. Silas blocked each one with his forearms, ignoring the sharp blades of her knuckles as they tore into his skin. Iruna watched in horror, until she could take it no longer and healed him.

"Get away from here, Iruna!" shouted Silas, swiftly dodging and ducking Arlena's blows. "It's too dangerous! She's targeting you!"

Iruna turned to watch the ferocious monk fight down her male counterpart. She narrowed her eyes.

"I'm not running, whatever you think," she said quietly.

Silas threw Arlena off and looked at Iruna. "You're mad."

Arlena summoned five spirit spheres, and absorbed them in one go. She concentrated, white lightning crackling at her fists, before slamming both into the ground. Flagstones cracked and then broke apart; spikes of hardened earth erupted from the ground and headed towards Silas.

He snorted. "Sometimes I wonder the Monastery sticks to old tricks that everyone knows. We're not bloody wizards."

The monk opened his palm and hit the air in front of him as if he was hitting a wall. The air rippled powerfully. Silas grinned; he summoned five spirit spheres at once and absorbed them.

Arlena's eyes hardened. "You learned that? That's forbidden!"

"So? You started it off by learning Heaven's Drive for yourself." Silas drew back his fist, and then suddenly pummelled the air where he had hit it with his palm. Iruna used her arm to shield her face as the ripples went past her in a draught that grew stronger as Silas continued to punch.

"You're not stopping me!" snarled Arlena.

The spikes reached Silas. Instantly he crossed his arms. There was an almighty shockwave as the spikes collided into the barrier of almost solid air he had moulded with his punches. The ground actually shook with the impact; people around them stumbled and looked around in shock.

The spikes suddenly exploded into clods of soil. As they thumped around Silas, he smiled grimly. "You thought Heaven's Drive was powerful? Vineis must be getting to your head."

Arlena gave an incoherent scream of rage and shot forward. Silas drew back his fist, waiting, watching...

She leapt, pulling back her knuckle-clad fist. He slammed his fist into the barrier of air.

Iruna swore, later on, that the impact forced the barrier into a visible spear. The force of it slammed into Arlena and threw her off some way away. She landed, rolled on the floor, and then leapt to her feet, breathing hard.

Silas drew himself into a stance, his fists facing her. Iruna saw, in horror, the blood that covered his fingers.

"Silas, your hands--!"

"Don't worry, Iruna," he said. "All techniques have a price to pay - even that bloody Heaven's Drive."

Arlena summoned another spirit sphere and absorbed it. Surrounded by a blue-white light, she dashed forward with such speed that she left a trail of blue-white light behind. Silas braced himself as the blue-white comet headed for him, displacing a wake of air that felt like a brief gale to Iruna--

White lightning struck at Silas, who fended it off with his forearm. Without warning he plunged into the blue-white ball. Iruna backed away as white lightning struck out from the ball. There seemed to be too much activity inside - she could see nothing, hear nothing, and yet sense that very intense fighting was going on inside it--

Silas emerged from the ball in a backflip that brought him down in a graceful arc. He landed on his hands and set his feet back down on the ground.

"She's paying the cost now," he said, grinning.

The blue-white light died. Arlena was panting, her steel gaze fixed on Silas. Her arms were covered in blood.

"Damn you, Silas," she breathed. "You studied all the techniques, and you picked the one with no weakness!"

"Oh, air has a weakness," he said airily. "It's just that no one bothered to find out."

Arlena growled. "How dare you do this!"

Silas pulled down the brim of his boy's cap until only one eye could be seen. The turquoise blue eye glinted in the shadow of his cap.

"I should be the one saying that," he said. "You knew me, Arlena. The boy you could never bully, because he knew your weaknesses. Face it."

Arlena snapped. White light slammed around her; the flagstones around her cracked under the force of the whirling energy. With a long enraged scream, she headed for Silas like a streak of vengeful white fire.

Silas stepped aside. "You still haven't learned, either."

He brought the edge of his hand down onto her back, and sent his knee into her abdomen. As she gasped, he kicked her into the air and leapt into the air himself.

As Iruna watched, open-mouthed, Silas kicked Arlena higher, somersaulted to maintain his momentum, and then - as Arlena came down - spun in the air and slammed his heel down onto her.

She hit the ground with a thud. Silas landed on his feet and dusted his coat.

"I don't know how Valkron knows that monk combo," he said, "but you certainly don't know it. And it's not a forbidden technique, either. You're talented, Arlena, but with a little hard work anyone can reach your level."

He walked off, leaving Arlena groaning on the flagstones. Iruna wordlessly pulled out two long strips of linen and offered them to Silas, who took them graciously.

"Thank you," he said, as he wrapped his bleeding hands with them. "My injuries will make me pay later. For now, one down."

"Two to go," agreed Iruna. She looked around. Arlena's troops had stopped, unsure of what to do, when they saw their commander fall, and now the Raulus had successfully driven them back to the portal that led to the previous floor.

"Is Valkron all right?" asked the monk. Iruna looked at him, and saw the worry in his eyes.

"I...don't know," she answered honestly. "And I think we might need to follow him, just in case."

* * *

Valkron had never felt like this before. It was as if hatred was becoming his blade. The more intense the hatred grew, the angrier and sadder he felt, and the more he wanted to get rid of it. His sword seemed to leave a red streak wherever it went, and he wasn't stopping it. He _wanted_ to get rid of the burning fire in his heart.

As he fought, he sought a target to bury all of it in. The people in front of him were worthless. They would not be able to house such anger in them. All he wanted to do was sink his sword into someone and feel the hatred leave him - the hatred for himself.

He was oblivious to them, to their cries of pain. He heard nothing. All he saw was the blood red fire that he disliked so much, and he yearned to get rid of it.

His blade slashed through someone in front of him, almost killing the poor man. Blood splattered across his face, but he didn't care. All he was thinking about was Emeth, bleeding and unable to defend himself.

_And I called myself a warrior of the world_, he thought. _How shameful can it get? I can't even defend the weak!_

_They have to pay. They must pay._

Zweihaender's heavy cavalry scattered as Valkron plunged into them. People were running from him in fear, but Valkron hunted them down one by one. If it hadn't been for Samaroh, many of them would have died from loss of blood.

Iruna found Samaroh mass healing everyone - even the enemy.

"What are you doing?" she asked him.

"Iruna! There you are!" said Samaroh, looking over his shoulder as white light burst forth from his hand. "I was looking for you! Get out there and stop Valkron!"

"What's happening?" asked Silas.

"He's gone mad! This place is turning into a bloodbath! I'm not going to let anyone die here, even if it's a war! This is just a guild war, not a bloody battle! Go and stop him before he causes anymore damage!"

"Easier said than done, Samaroh," said Iruna bitterly.

"What are you talking about?"

"I can't stop him. No one can." Iruna turned to where Zweihaender's troops were fleeing. "And no one would dare."

"Are you being an idiot? There _is_ someone who can stop him!"

"Who?" asked Silas and Iruna.

"Emeth!"

They looked at each other. Then Silas said, "Valkron left Emeth on the ground floor, I believe. I don't know why."

"What?" Iruna stared at him. "Valkron's never left Emeth behind before!"

"Then get Emeth."

They stared at Samaroh. The priest had a look in his eyes they had never seen before, and there was an aura to him that warned of something dangerous.

"Get him," he repeated. "Emeth is just as precious to him as you are, Iruna. You may not know it, but Valkron cares for Emeth. I don't know what made Valkron leave him behind, but I say you go and get him. Hurry! Oripheus' troops may come in any moment, and they might get hurt!"

Iruna looked at Silas, who nodded. "I'll come with you. You might need reinforcements."

But later on they found out they didn't need reinforcements at all.

* * *

Zweihaender snarled. "You've gone too far, Emeth!"

And slammed his sword down...

...onto the floor.

The crusader blinked. There was just a large pool of blood. There was no Emeth.

"You know, for as long as I've lived no one's said a thing about the most obvious feature of me," said Emeth's voice, from behind. "Either they don't notice, or they think it's normal. It actually isn't."

Zweihaender turned to see Emeth standing nonchalantly behind him. As he watched, gaping, the blood from the floor and Emeth's clothes disappeared. The wounds he had closed up.

"I don't know why this only happens when I haven't a chance of surviving something, but I'm not taking it for granted," said the wizard.

"What are you talking about?" asked Zweihaender, temporarily bewildered. "What is so obvious about you?"

"This." Emeth pointed to his eyes - or rather, the eye that wasn't covered in the lock of hair that hung over his face. "Having golden eyes is not a common trait. Any case that occurs is like a one in a million, and it doesn't happen every year, either. But when it does...the effects are incredible."

He held out his hand. His staff flew to him, and he caught it neatly.

"You know what they say about golden eyes?" he said. "No? Well then, I'll enlighten you. Golden eyes indicate the ability to utilise a large amount of strength and power. Whether in the form of agility, strength, magic or intelligence, it makes anyone become something close to the perfect warrior. Oh, you don't have to give me that look - I was born with it. And although I chose to become a wizard, I could have chosen anything else - and still be that powerful."

Emeth's eyes glowed like fire. Zweihaender took a step back.

"I'm sure you've never participated in the Battle of Al'Zahur," the wizard said.

"Me? Why would I participate in a mercenaries' rabble?" snapped the crusader.

"Because then you'll know who I am." Emeth grinned. "Or rather...you'd already know, because the story spread around quite fast after the battle..."

Zweihaender gaped. "You...you're...impossible..."

"Nope, not impossible." Emeth tilted back his head. "You're right. I am the wizard they called 'Child of the Devil'."

The crusader scowled. "I'm not going to listen to fairy tales! That was just a made-up legend! You're not stopping me from attacking you, even if you claim to be the person!"

"I don't _claim_ to be," said Emeth. "I _am_ the aforesaid wizard."

Zweihaender snorted. "Prove it!"

"For your entertainment, certainly!" Emeth vanished.

Zweihaender looked around. The hallway was empty. He snorted. "Pretentious fool. If he thinks I'm stupid enough to listen to those heathen tales, then he's all talk and no substance."

He turned around. "Oripheus!" he bellowed. "Get in here!"

And then someone duly kicked him on the back of the head.

Zweihaender staggered, and turned. Emeth was there.

"I heard that," he said quietly. He wasn't grinning anymore.

The crusader swung his sword around, but Emeth wasn't there. He was above.

Lightning struck the crusader. He went down on one knee as white fire lashed at him. As he looked up, Emeth kicked him in the face.

Zweihaender skidded backwards, but Emeth followed. He repeatedly slammed his feet, one after the other, into the crusader's face until he felt something crack beneath his soles. Then he let himself fall to the floor, gripped the floor with one hand and pivoted himself around.

He slammed his fist into Zweihaender's chin, in an uppercut that was so powerful it actually lifted the crusader off the floor. Emeth brought his fist in a roundhouse blow.

"Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth!" he shouted, as his knuckles connected with the crusader's face.

Zweihaender hit the opposite wall so hard it cracked.

Emeth straightened up and massaged his knuckles gingerly. "Yeow. That man's got muscles harder than rock."

He sensed a presence near him, and turned to face Oripheus and his troops.

* * *

Iruna was beginning to feel panic coming to her. Valkron was reaching the portal that led to the ground floor; she had a feeling more of the Black Cross' troops were below, and she was not confident of what would happen to them. Of course, she had been angry when they had invaded without listening, but now she feared for their lives.

"Silas!" she shouted to the monk, who was helping Samaroh heal, except less effectively. "Keep an eye on the troops! I'm going in!"

"Keep yourself safe!" shouted back Silas, as Iruna mounted her might peco. The crusader nodded briefly and urged her peco to ride into the fray.

Valkron was just about to follow the disappearing troops into the portal when she skidded in front of him and threw her shield down, at a retreating hunter. He shrieked and threw himself forward, but Iruna had not been aiming at him. The shield landed on its point, and stuck in the ground, before Valkron struck it. The hunter had only been there a few seconds ago.

"Valkron! Stop this at once!" she commanded, in a voice fit to shake mountains.

He looked up at her. She looked down at him, willing for her eyes to convey her desperate message: _Please stop, Valkron! This isn't a war anymore! It's murder!_

"Why do you want to stop me?" he said in a low voice. "I thought you wanted to protect our troops as well."

"You've caused far too much damage," she said, her voice taking on a powerful bass to it. "They're retreating. We are safe. Stop this at once, or you will regret it."

Valkron growled. "Get out of my way, Iruna."

Iruna swallowed. This was the bit she didn't want happening. "No, I won't," she said, holding her voice as steady as she could.

"I said, get out of my way." He held his sword in front of him. "They have to pay."

"For what?"

"For something you wouldn't understand."

Iruna dismounted and pushed her peco away. With a grunt, she lifted her shield out of the crack in the ground and held it in front of her. "Then you leave me no choice, Valkron." Her eyes narrowed. "I don't want to do this, but you're making me do it."

It was a fear of hers that had come true. She had fought with Valkron before, but that time it had only been an impostor. Now she was about to cross swords with the man she loved, in order to protect not just the Raulus, but the Black Cross as well.

Valkron growled. Iruna put her shield down and pulled the blindfold off her neck. She tied it around her eyes and pulled it secure around her head.

"I'm sorry, Valkron," she whispered, picking up her shield.

They attacked.

* * *

Oripheus gazed at Emeth. The wizard felt the fire in his eyes die down a little.

"Leave Neuschwanstein, Oripheus," he said. "I have no grudge against you. I don't intend to fight you. I think enough blood has been spilled."

The sage turned his head to one side and looked at Emeth out of the corner of his eye. "But I have a grudge against you."

"Are you still trying to be the best?" said Emeth irritably. "Why can't you be satisfied with who you are now? You're a powerful Hindsight sage, and I doubt people are going to ever cross you."

"I want a rematch."

Emeth sighed. "The odds are heavily against me again. Why does this happen to me?" He looked up. "Fine. I challenge you to single combat. If I win, you leave, If you win, you go past me to the next floor."

"This has nothing to do with the guild war," said Oripheus calmly.

_Ah_, thought Emeth. _Personal matters._

"You shouldn't have brought it here, Oripheus," he said. "This isn't the right time."

The sage said nothing, but his book was ready. Emeth braced himself.

He had to block the heavy book. Oripheus moved swiftly for a sage, and there was no telling what the silent man was thinking. Emeth frowned. The battle had to be won by strategy, not brute force.

Lightning bolts struck the ground around Emeth, while ice rained down onto him. However, he dodged them.

"There's no use using your Hindsight on me, Oripheus," he said. "It doesn't work. You know that."

The sage simply attacked. Emeth fended him off with his staff.

"Attack me, why don't you?" asked Oripheus.

"I told you already. I don't have a grudge against you."

"Well, I do."

Emeth sighed. Oripheus was just as stubborn as he was when he had been younger.

"Fine."

Emeth launched a series of blows with his staff at Oripheus. The sage defended himself with the book, and then suddenly held up his hand.

Someone threw a staff from behind. Oripheus caught it.

"Ah, a fairer battle," said Emeth, nodding sagely.

The two magic-users circled like wolves warily. Oripheus crouched, and then lunged at Emeth. The wizard whacked the staff away and whirled his own, before bringing it down onto Oripheus. The sage fended it off.

The battle was slower, but still intense. Emeth knew Oripheus was serious this time - well, he had been serious then, but he had also been less powerful. That time had been a young mage, a couple of feet shorter than Emeth. This time it was a sage, much older and clearly well-trained.

Oripheus moved like a snake in water. He struck, shot forward and twisted his attacks, so that Emeth couldn't see them. The wizard was now using only his personal space to feel the sage, so it was not surprising.

They whirled across the flagstones, dodging and ducking each other's staffs. Then suddenly Oripheus lashed out, and the tip of his staff slashed Emeth on the cheek.

Emeth lifted his hand to his cheek and touched it. He looked at the tips of his gloves. A small droplet of blood ran down a finger.

"I see," he said, reaching up to the clasp that fastened his cloak together.

And then he was gone, so fast that the cloak hung in the air for a second or two longer. Oripheus whipped around, his mantle flying, looking for the wizard.

Emeth kicked him in the small of his back. As Oripheus stumbled he swung his arm around the sage's neck and caught his throat in the crook of his elbow. With the other hand, he twisted Oripheus' arm behind him. The sage yelped, losing hold of his staff.

"No, I've had enough." He nodded to Oripheus' troops. "Withdraw, or I'll break your commander's arm."

"Like you'd dare," Oripheus sneered.

"Oh, I dare, Oripheus. I dare." Emeth leaned so close to Oripheus that he was sure he was breathing into the sage's ear. "I dare do anything when my eyes glow."

Oripheus could see the glow of Emeth's eyes on his skin, even though it was somewhat diffused. He snorted, but Emeth knew he'd won.

"Retreat," he said to his troops. "Return to the Valkyrie Realms. Release me, Emeth - I have to find my comrades before I return as well."

Emeth did so. Oripheus looked surprised, but only for a moment. He picked up his staff and faced the portal that led to the next floor. "How far did Arlena go up?"

"I have no idea," answered the wizard, shrugging. "For all I know, she could be-- wait, didn't her troops rush down past us while we were fighting?"

Oripheus looked at Emeth. He looked back at the portal. "I didn't see her."

"Neither did I."

They looked. And then Emeth suddenly recalled what had happened before Valkron had left him. He remembered Valkron's tortured expression, the look of despair before the knight had turned and run, and had a horrible feeling about the knight.

"Don't go any further, Oripheus," he said. "Wait here."

He took off towards the portal at a run. The sage watched him vanish into whirling light, massaging his shoulder.

* * *

Iruna felt the full force of Valkron on her shield. She strained to hold him off. Her back was to the portal; if he hurled himself into her one more time she would fall into the portal.

Valkron snarled incoherently and shoved her shield away from her. She held up her sword, and winced as it reverberated under the weight of his blow. They strained to push each other off.

Suddenly the portal flashed, briefly. A familiar voice behind her that exclaimed, "Iruna! What are you doing--" and then someone fell onto her. She flailed, trying to take the weight of whoever it was on her, and promptly lost her balance.

Which meant she fell onto Valkron.

Whatever state he was in, Valkron certainly could not take the full weight of a crusader - especially not one with full armour on. There was a mighty ground-shaking crash, and several people around them winced, Silas and Samaroh included.

Iruna got off Valkron, coughing slightly. She had the notion she had squashed Valkron under her, but he didn't look so bad. She turned around, ready to tell off the offending intruder--

"Iruna!" Emeth looked at her, and then down at Valkron. "What's going on? Why are you fighting him?"

Iruna gaped him, speechless. Then she caught sight of his glowing eyes.

"Emeth..."

"What?"

"Your eyes."

"Whatever." Emeth brushed it off and turned to Valkron, who was getting to his feet. "At least I stopped it, hey?"

Valkron took one look at Emeth, pulled back his fist and gave the wizard a roundhouse blow to the face. Iruna started, but the knight did not do anything else except glare at Emeth.

The wizard regained his balance. "Well, I see someone's right put off about me telling him to leave me to the mercy of a heartless crusader," he said, rubbing his cheek.

"Who wouldn't be?" snapped Valkron. "And you could deal with him easily, too! But you keep quiet about yourself and make me tear myself apart thinking I should have stayed with you instead! I swear, if you weren't human you'd really be a child of the devil!"

There was a collective gasp. "No way," someone breathed. "He's the _Child of the Devil_..."

"Nothing to be proud of, not even when you could just say something about it!" snapped the knight. "If you ever do that again, I'm going to--"

"Going to what, Valkron?" asked Emeth, grinning. "Going to rip me apart? Going to beat me up?"

Valkron mouthed wordlessly at the wizard. The fire in his eyes died, and the vicious aura around him faded away. He looked down at the floor.

"Yes?" prompted Emeth.

"I'm going to keep in mind what I'm here for," he said in a small voice.

Emeth clapped him on the shoulder. "There we go. Nice and calm. No need to lose your temper with me, because you obviously can't. Now, can someone tell me where Arlena is? Oripheus is downstairs waiting for her. The Black Cross elite troops have left Neuschwanstein, and in a few minutes they'll be leaving Luina. Got to get her back to them before they go."

* * *

Sheuth watched, expressionless, as Sedir caarefully healed Arlena and Zweihaender's injuries. Oripheus was sitting a little way away from them, but Kuroihi, Naobi, Lucius, David and Reita were with the two of them.

"I'm amazed that Emeth can give you such injuries, Zwei," said Reita, looking at the crusader as music played softly around them - she had agreed to play some music to speed up the healing of their injuries. "He's a wizard."

Zweihaender gave her a look. "I don't want to talk about this anymore, all right? Stop it."

"I still can't believe Silas knew that air technique," said Arlena. She was behind a curtain, to shield herself from being seen by the male members present while a priestess tended her wounds. All they could see of her was a slim silhouette. "Why the heck did he join the Raulus? Didn't Vineis offer the membership to him before?"

"He refused to go because Vineis saw nothing special about Zak," Naobi informed her. "Silas said he would not leave Zak for anything, and Kumahar agreed to leave us and go with him."

"I hate men," muttered Arlena.

"I never knew Emeth was the wizard who defeated Turtle General on his own during the Battle of Al'Zahur," Kuroihi mused. "The reward was huge, but he didn't even turn up to take it. It was if he defeated the monster just to protect us."

"Maybe that was his true intention," said David.

"And then hide his identity for ten years? He's practically a hero!"

"Not to me he isn't," grumbled Zweihaender.

"Obviously not," said Reita, who was trying not to laugh.

"They do not want to be known as heroes," said Lucius, who was leaning on the wall nearby. "After all, the original Raulus members were responsible for destroying the Dark Portal."

"Original Raulus members?" Arlena asked, peeking out from behind her curtain. "What do you mean?"

"Valkron, Emeth, Iruna, Samaroh, Nocturne, Eni, Amaru and Khan. They were members of the Raulus party who had a hand in dealing with the portal. I believe Sagna and Edell, a rookie crusader, had a hand in it as well."

"Edell's been promoted now," said Zweihaender. "He's an overseer. I never knew that timid boy was in it."

"Well, he was." Lucius looked around. "Does anyone not know where Vineis is? We should update him on this information."

"Vineis is away," said Sheuth, stepping out of the shadows. "He has gone with Alya to Prontera to check on her condition."

"What? At a time like this?" Arlena huffed. "Sucks. He should be here to talk to us."

"He did want to talk to you." The rogue flipped through a few papers on a clipboard. "Because he's not here he wanted me to pass on a message to you."

They looked up. "What is it?" asked Reita eagerly.

Sheuth looked up from the clipboard. His eyes gleamed.

"He is disappointed with Kuroihi, Naobi, and you three," he nodded at Arlena, Zweihaender and Oripheus, "and your failure to retake Luina from the Raulus. He has issued an order of expulsion for the five of you."

"What?" exclaimed Reita, eagerness replaced by horror.

David leapt up. "You're joking!" he said, enraged. "Vineis can't just kick them out like that!"

"He says he wants them out by tomorrow morning," continued Sheuth. "And to no longer return to the Valkyrie Realms. According to him, he will show no mercy to those who return."

"You're lying! Let me see that paper!" David snatched it from Sheuth. The rogue watched smugly as they peered over the blacksmith's shoulder to read, and smiled mirthlessly as the hope on their faces faded into shock and sadness.

"He's not lying," said Reita, her voice faint. "That's Vineis' signature down there. And this cursive script...it's his, too."

"Why does Vineis want to do that?" asked David. "They've done nothing wrong. It's not the end of the world just because they can't reclaim Luina."

"Vineis is disappointed that his guild members have let him down," said Sheuth sadly. "He has given up on the five of them. And he told me to tell you that he wants the remaining members to work harder than what the five have done."

Arlena, Zweihaender and Oripheus exchanged looks. Naobi pulled his sakkhat down over his face. Kuroihi stood there, unmoving, as if numbed by the news.

"You should do what he says and leave." Sheuth took the paper from David and turned to go. "Before he returns. He does not want to see you here when he returns. He will be angry. And I do not want him to be angry."

* * *

Torment to continue, under Naruto OST. I've got it in my phone, too.

At this moment in time I am completely referenceless, so I had to make up combos that fit the personalities of the two monks. And once again, I have to explain the spells I described here.

Where Arlena becomes a comet of blue-white light, she is using a skill that can be found in the actual monk's arsenal. I forgot what the name is in iRO (Snap, I think - not so sure), but in mRO and the like it's called Dash Like A Bullet. It enables the caster to move extremely fast to the targeted spot, provided there is no obstacle in the way.

The monk version of Heaven's Drive actually does come with a heavy price - if overused, it tears the muscles of the user. If not done on the right terrain, it can _hurt_. If used normally, the energy is capable of cutting skin from the inside. Silas' air technique also has some dire consequences - as you saw, the friction between the air and his knuckles can split skin. I believe only male monks can execute this skill, because females are not physically strong enough to 'mould' the air into a weapon. A bit of a sexist disadvantage there, so forgive me (it IS true, though).

The whirling sword thing from the previous chapter (done by Valkron) is Bowling Bash. Bowling Bash actually has a knockback effect, but it is disabled during WoE. The damage done, however, actually doubles because of that.

Zweihaender's shield was used in his Auto Reflect (where Emeth gets his attack back at him).


	58. On the Way Home

Chapter 58  
**On the Way Home**

Samaroh opened the door to the meeting room and looked in. The only person around was Emeth, who was as usual doing his work. The priest smiled to himself, and entered carrying his own books.

He thumped them down and sat next to Emeth. Valkron had decided he had had enough of Luina and the two castles they now owned. Adonis had also assured him that the Left Wing of the Phoenix could now handle the castle-taking on its own. With much relief, the away troops of the Raulus had withdrawn and were now back in Britoniah.

"Ahh," said the priest, leaning back in the comfortable chair. "It's great to be back home."

Emeth did not say anything. He appeared to be carefully scrutinising his work.

"Don't you think so, Emeth?" Samaroh nudged him good-naturedly. "Luina feels so alien. It's got flagstones and proper pathways, I grant you that, but sometimes the forest just keeps you on your toes. I like that feeling."

There was no answer from the wizard. Samaroh raised an eyebrow, and leaned closer to take a look at him. He was breathing rhythmically and quite deeply, and his eyes were closed.

Emeth was fast asleep.

The priest shook his head, took a deep breath, and let it out in a mighty "EMETH!" right into the poor wizard's ear.

The heavy, rhythmic breathing gave way to a sharp, short _bloorrt_. The wizard shot upright and looked around blearily. "What? What? Who's getting attacked?"

"No one's getting attacked, you lazy fool!" snapped the priest, giving Emeth a cuff on the ear. "You're skiving on sleep again, aren't you?"

"What? No! I'm not!" Emeth shook his head vigorously and brushed the lock of hair away from his eye. "It's just the load of work we're getting. I swear I'm using up more energy doing my research than fighting in the guild war."

Samaroh snorted. "Likely story."

"What? I'm not fibbing!"

"Yeah, whatever. I warn you, though - if Valkron catches you, you're in mighty big trouble."

"Will you give a wizard some respite for once?" groaned Emeth, burying his face into his hands. He massaged his eyes with his palms. "Why are you here, anyway?"

"I was hoping you'd be able to help me out with my studies in the utilisation of magic," replied Samaroh. "You're the only one here who can help. I know Nalini's a veritable source of information, but she's not here at the moment - her mother's birthday, I believe."

"Yeah, it is." Emeth sighed and put his quill back into its pot. "Well, since I'm not exactly awake enough to do my work I'll come and help you. Not like I've got a choice."

"What do you mean? You do have a choice."

"You're part of the guild. I promised I'd help anyone who needed me."

Samaroh brushed away a few loose strands of his golden hair from his face. "You guys are really hot on this protecting stuff, eh? I bet it's spread around the kingdom that we really do care for the people, no matter how they are."

"You make it sound like it's some sort of sin."

"Me? Hey, Emeth, I spend my life helping people. Why would I make it sound that bad?"

Emeth shrugged. "It's just your tone. By the way, your sister's been griping about your hair lately. You could see to it before I get anymore 'Samaroh needs to cut his hair' talk from her. Really."

The priest touched his hair. It was easy to distinguish him - his hair seemed to succumb to gravity, and yet stuck out from his head. Quite a number of people had seen him take his hat off, and commented he looked like he was wearing half a golden eggshell on his head, such was the smoothness of his hair underneath it.

"Well, I know it's getting long," he said dismissively, "but it doesn't mean she can go up in arms against it. Anyway, it's only grown a few centimetres. Nothing to worry about. Besides, I might like longer hair to keep my ears warm during winter."

Emeth laughed out loud. "Sometimes you tell us we're odd, but you yourself are one of us. You should accept your uniqueness, y'know."

Samaroh gave him a look, but he was grinning. "If it suits you."

"So what are you going to ask me about?" asked Emeth. "In specific. There's plenty of utilisation of magic topics, so don't go and confuse me."

"I'd like to ask if application of magic requires an intention."

The wizard gave this some thought. "Oh, you mean the hypothesis that magic is a neutral force, and what moulds it into its usage is the intent behind its utilisation?"

"Yep." Samaroh raised an eyebrow. "You don't believe in the theory?"

"No, why should I? You're talking to someone who's researching on different types of magic."

"Oh, yeah, I forgot. Okay, let's assume the hypothesis is true."

"This is going to get difficult," Emeth sighed. "But I'll try. Okay, what's the problem at hand?"

"Does dark magic seem to prove the theory is correct?" asked Samaroh. "It's very hard to imagine that dark magic actually exists, considering--"

"It does exist. No, really." Emeth rolled his eyes. "Samaroh, if there ever was a competition to see who was the world's best at giving looks, you're going to be the champion. Hundreds of years ago, when demons and giants fought with the gods in Midgard, the dark magic actually existed as a kind of magic that could be utilised direct from the atmosphere. It doesn't exist now, due to the...reducing...of the strength of magic in the atmosphere, but rest assured that it once existed in a raw form before."

"Is that history?"

"History of Magic. Right on one."

"So that means that dark magic users can't exist today?"

"Well, that depends." Emeth scratched his head. "Dark magic is now believed to be dormant, not extinct. Types like heaven magic and ancient holy magic disappeared from our world forever, while earth magic became restricted to monsters, demons and spirits. Wizards still use storm magic to this very day."

"We use a weaker derivative of ancient holy magic," said Samaroh. "That's the reason why priests of old were able to resurrect. The secrets of resurrection were restricted to practitioners of ancient holy magic--"

"--but resurrection doesn't guarantee full life," interrupted Emeth. "I've heard cases where the resurrected are often nothing more than walking dead."

"That was due to inexperienced ancient holy magic users," explained Samaroh.

"Yep, and they led to the forbidden art of necromancy. Another long gone type of magic which, unlike heaven magic and ancient holy magic, I never want to see in my life. Ever."

"So back then Yggdrasil offered so much power to the humans?"

"It was necessary for survival," said Emeth, shrugging.

Samaroh looked down at his books. "Hmm. That's interesting."

"You get a lot more from history books than you do from magic textbooks, actually." Emeth pushed aside his work. "The library in the Magic Academy stocks up on history books like crazy, and they're far more interesting than what I have to refer to."

"I could go check the place out," Samaroh mused.

"You can borrow books from there. The Magic Academy library is open to the public. On the other hand, the restricted library at the top of Geffen Tower is the place you'd go for something on a forbidden magic." Emeth visibly shuddered. "I visited that library shortly after I passed my wizard exams. I haven't been there since."

"It's open to the public as well?"

"Nope, but you can ask Blizzardriss. He'll pass a message to one of our wizard guildsmen up there - Raul Exparagus. He's the Head Invigilator and the Chief Inspector of the Magic Academy," he added, seeing Samaroh's blank expression. "You've met him before, Samaroh. When you were temporarily hired as an examiner."

"_Oh_, I remember him now." Samaroh didn't look too pleased. "I never want to be a Magic Academy examiner again."

"It's not that bad, once you get used to the explosive situations of the practicals. Where was I...oh, yes. Raul is also in charge of the restricted library. He's the only wizard qualified to escort as well as keep an eye on the place."

"He's the one the students call the Gloomy Wizard, right?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Just asking."

Emeth sighed. "By the way, Samaroh, where's Valkron? He told me he wanted to join me for a spot of moon gazing down by the riverside tonight with Iruna. It's getting late, and if he doesn't come back in time he might miss moonrise."

"He's gone to Izlude to talk things over with Iruna. That's what she told me."

* * *

Izlude was full of people tonight. This was a little odd, considering that not many people went to Izlude unless a) they were heading for Byalan Island for some looting, b) they were novices interested in the swordsman occupation, or c) they wanted to get to Alberta via the ships.

But there was a reason. Most of the people were Chivalry knights from the City Division. Valkron nodded to them as he and Iruna walked past them; some of them waved or nodded back at him.

"Why is it so busy?" asked Iruna.

"Prontera Foundation Day," he replied. "We're getting the decorations ready. Hundreds of people from the Schwartzwald Republic and the Far Lands are coming in from all directions to attend the celebrations."

"So grand?"

Valkron shrugged. "If I'm not wrong, it's to celebrate one thousand five hundred years of Rune-Midgard's existence as well. I heard the king's invited rulers, emissaries and ambassadors from all over the continent."

"Wow." Iruna looked up at him. "Are you involved?"

"As a senior knight commander I'm usually part of the guard of honour. That's the part where the king passes the crowd to the statue of Prontera's founder and lays the shield of the kingdom at the base of the pedestal," he added. "We form an arch of swords."

"Ah."

"Later on I'm supposed to patrol the crowds and look out for potential muggers, although I think Raven's seen to that already." He frowned. "Have you _ever_ been to a Foundation Day, Iruna?"

"Er...only once, when I was twelve," she said apologetically. "I don't remember much. I've always stayed in Juno, though."

"Does the Schwartzwald Republic have a Foundation Day?"

Iruna shook her head. "We have a day that celebrates the republic's conversion from an empire into its current government, though. I don't participate in it, being that I'm not a citizen of the republic. Zweihaender does. You could ask him."

"I'll pass."

They continued walking until they reached the docks. There they stood and listened to the waves lapping at the stone platforms, while the great ships near them rocked gently and creaked in the soft breeze.

"We have to go back soon," said Valkron, looking up into the sky. "The moon will rise soon. Emeth says that if we don't want to miss moonrise we have to go back early."

"Um...I'm sorry, Valkron, but I can't join you two," Iruna pointed out. "I've just received work to do, and I have to hand it the day after tomorrow. Maybe some other time."

Valkron smiled as he looked at her. "It's all right. Full moon happens twelve times a year, after all."

After a while, Iruna looked up at Valkron. "How are you feeling these days, Valkron?"

He looked at her in surprise. "I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

She raised her eyebrows at him. The docks were brightly lit, so he could see her expression.

"Is it since the Neuschwanstein battle?"

The crusader nodded.

Valkron sighed. "I'm all right. I got everything out of my system the moment I punched Emeth."

Iruna massaged her forehead. "Are you sure?"

"Mm."

"You still don't seem too well. Sometimes you seem so troubled, but you keep hiding it from us whenever we ask you if anything's wrong." Iruna leaned against him. "You could just talk."

"Iruna, trust me. I'm fine now. Whatever I can deal with has been dealt with, and whatever I can't deal with I've left to think about. I always want to resolve my problems." He smiled at her. "You don't have to worry about me."

They stood in silence for a long time, as people scuttled about behind them shouting orders and carrying things to and fro. Then Iruna suddenly said, "Valkron, I'd like to say a few things."

"Go ahead."

"I'm going to be really frank with you, so could we go a place you know? A quiet place, preferably. I want it to be just the both of us."

Valkron looked at her in surprise, but he nodded. "Come with me."

They left the docks and made their way down the streets. Iruna looked around at the cosy little houses nestled in the peaceful satellite city; their warm lights reached for her and made her feel as if she had lived there all her life.

But the house Valkron took her to was different. She stared up at it as he fumbled with the lock of the gate in the semi-darkness. Unlike the happy houses with their brightly coloured geraniums and well-tended gardens, this house seemed alone, grey, abandoned. The garden was full of weeds and long grass as tall as her. The wooden shutters were open; grey, frayed curtains fluttered out of the windows.

Valkron beckoned her to follow. She did, although a little hesitantly, and shut the gate behind her. Valkron made his way to the door and pushed it gently open. Iruna took a look at it as he stepped back to allow her to pass. The paint on the door was peeling, and the door itself was half-rotting.

When she stepped into the house, her footsteps echoed loudly throughout the house. She stopped dead in her tracks and looked warily around.

The largest room was devoid of furniture save for a very old, dusty footstool. The curtains were ragged and thin to the point of disintegrating. Wherever she went she left a trail of footprints in the dust. She looked around at the empty, desolate room as Valkron slipped in behind her and shut the door.

"Valkron?" she whispered, not daring to speak loudly in a house that seemed dead. "What is this place?"

"I used to live here," he said quietly, coming up behind her and putting his arm around her waist. "From when I was born until I was ten. Then I moved out."

"Why? Your parents moved out too?"

"No. I did."

She looked at him. His green eyes were dim discs in the semi-darkness. "What do you mean? Your parents would have moved out too, right? You were too young to live on your own."

"They were dead that time," he said, looking away.

Iruna sensed the chasm that had opened up ahead of her, and decided not to go down it. "So you moved to...?"

"The Swordsman Academy. They let foreign students board there. I was a special case, but they let me all the same." Valkron motioned at the footstool. "You can sit on that, it's still sturdy."

Iruna gathered her skirt and sat down carefully. Although the footstool creaked a little, it held. She watched as he settled down onto the bare floor, dust rising as he stretched out his legs.

There was silence. Iruna drew up her legs and wrapped her arms around them for warmth. She shivered in the empty, cold house.

"So what did you want to tell me?" he asked.

Iruna looked back at him. Valkron was looking at her, his not-so-bushy hair outlined by the light from the docks.

She took a deep breath, careful to avoid breathing in particles of dust. "I'm afraid I might hurt you, because I'm going to be straightforward with what I think of you. Is that all right with you? You can stop me if you think I'm going too far."

"I'm fine with it," he said.

"Sure?"

"Mm."

Iruna looked at the floor. "I'm saying this on behalf of the entire guild, really. We think that you shouldn't keep hiding your feelings from us, and that you shouldn't keep everything bottled up inside you. We could help you relieve that pain you seem to be suffering. It's just that you're so stubborn we don't know what to do with you."

Valkron nodded. He was staring at the floor, but she knew he was listening.

"So we're asking you to be a little less selfish and just tell us everything. I'm not trying to be bossy, but it's time you stopped being so aloof and turned to us for help."

"And what if I don't need help?"

"Why do you deny?" Iruna shook her head sadly. "It's easy for us to tell, sometimes. Your pains hurt you so much that it takes you a lot of effort to not yell at us. It's as if you long to reach out to us, but something's turning you away from us."

Valkron did not reply. Iruna put her feet down on the floor.

"I have a feeling that you're still not very used to people," she said. "You don't really trust us, do you? It's like you're waiting and watching to see if we're worthy of being trusted with your deepest fears and your yearned ambitions. Because those can be turned into weapons and used against you."

The knight still did not answer, but she saw him nod, almost imperceptibly. She plunged on. "Valkron, we're here for you. I know you dislike burdening people with your own problems, but we want to help you. We're your friends. We've fought side by side with you, helped you survive the toughest situations, and supported you along the way. You've entrusted your life to us, Valkron. What's so hard about entrusting us with your story?"

This time Iruna waited for him to answer. Valkron raised his head in the silence.

"It's not just about trust, Iruna," he said. "It's just that I've gone through a lot. Long ago they made my life a living hell. I'd spend days wishing I'd never been born, or thinking of suicide. Every time I thought about them they burned me and reminded me of the harsh reality that is this world. Even now, the old scars still burn."

She saw him reach up and put his hand on his chest, where his heart was. "I used to bleed deep inside, Iruna. The pain was unbearable. That's why I turn into someone else when I am reminded of the memories - someone you don't know, a complete stranger to you. It was the only way I could block out the pain and concentrate on my mission in life."

"And you've lived this long to accomplish it?" she asked softly. "You could have just killed yourself and free yourself from the pain."

"It's not something that's easy to do, Iruna." He looked up at her. "I tried several times. Every time I tried I just couldn't bring myself to end my own life. Fighting as a mercenary teaches you to value life as well. I gave it up later on."

"The scars hurt when they were created," said Iruna. "Healing them will also cause pain. But at least it will be for the last time in your life - without you losing it."

There was silence. Iruna sighed. "Valkron, I know you men never talk about your emotions. I don't know if this applies to you, but most men just don't want to talk because they want to uphold the image of the strong, dominant male. Are you like that?"

"No," he said. The crusader raised an eyebrow.

"You're an incredibly lousy liar," she said.

"Fine, fine. But that's just a partial reason."

"Then what's the main reason?"

Valkron blinked. "I...just want to concentrate on my aims. I don't want to get distracted."

"Of course, if you were with a group of strangers, or if you were alone. But you're with us, Valkron." She slid off the stool and knelt down by his side. "We want to let you feel happiness - maybe the happiness you missed when you were young. It hurts us to see you so unhappy."

Valkron sighed.

Iruna looked around the room. "This house is empty, cold, and dark. There's no happiness in this place. It's all alone. I know you brought me here because this was your home once, but in a way you're showing me how you really feel most of the time. You're alone and unhappy, because you're different. You've been abandoned, because no one cared for you. You're always cold, because you don't remember how it feels like to have someone love you, and therefore you don't know what another person's warmth feels like." She put her arms around him and nuzzled his hair. "But you've met us, and now we want to help you."

"It doesn't feel right," he mumbled. "Letting other people know your emotions."

"Because you've never done that, am I right? And your mistrust...you must have trusted people before, but they turned their backs on you when you sought for the attention you wanted." Iruna stroked his hair. "And because you were hurt by their selfishness, you withdrew into yourself, finding the protection only in you."

She settled down on the floor, so that her head was on the same level with Valkron's. "There's nothing to be ashamed about," she said. "Nothing at all. You're human, Valkron."

Valkron said nothing.

"I remember a phrase my mother told me once," she said. "'The humans' desire to give love is due to the longing to receive it'. You've always yearned for love, haven't you? On the surface you show yourself as a grouchy, stubborn, sarcastic old man, but inside you have a good heart. You want people to know that you have the ability to care for others. What do you lose by showing it to us first?"

Valkron still did not reply. Iruna looked at him. His eyes slid to one side to look back at her.

"I'll make this promise to you, Valkron." She slid her hand down and grasped his firmly. "I promise that when you want to tell us what happened to you, I will be there. I promise I will make sure that the pain you feel will be gone, and will never return. I'll hold your hand - like I'm doing right now - and keep you safe and warm. I can't promise that your pain will be gone forever, but I can promise that I will help you ease it. For your sake. For our sake."

"Are you willing to go that far for me?" he asked her.

Iruna stared at him. Then she threw her head back and laughed.

The rippling laugh was like the sound of a happy stream running through a green forest. It echoed through the house, and for a moment, just then, the house seemed as if it had come back to life.

"Valkron," she said, "I love you. Is that a good enough answer?"

Valkron looked at her in surprise. Then his face broke into a smile. "Yes," he said.

"Then let's get out of here and go back to Britoniah before Emeth gets you for being late." She got to her feet, smiling down at him.

As they walked back to the centre of Izlude, Valkron looked away and seemed to think for a little. He stopped in order to do so. Because he had done so without warning, Iruna walked a few steps ahead of him before she realised she was alone.

"Valkron?" she said, turning back.

The knight beckoned to her, still thinking. "Come here."

Iruna obeyed, although clearly mystified. Valkron looked down into her brown eyes.

"I'd like to say something about _you_ now," he said.

"Go ahead."

"You're not a very pretty woman. I've seen many other women who look prettier than you."

"Mm-hm."

"You're not angry with me for saying that?" he asked, taken aback by her reaction.

"Well, no." She smiled sweetly at his expression. "Okay, a little. But since you haven't finished talking, I'll just wait for the rest to come."

"Yes, I haven't finished talking. Um..." He looked around as if looking for the right words, and then seemed to give up. He looked directly into her eyes.

"I still don't know why I find myself attracted to you," he said, "but there's something about you. It might be that you care for others and are determined to help no matter what. You're very headstrong and sensible, becoming an anchor to us when we're lost at sea. You're truthful, and you're not afraid of letting people know who they really are. You're not easily moved by others, and you keep a calm, cool head in most situations. Above all, it's your strength that shines through every time we face difficulties, and the way you take on everything as if it's your responsibility." He took a deep breath. "Those, and more, make you the most beautiful woman I have ever met in my life."

Iruna stared at him, open-mouthed. Valkron, who had been expecting a lot more from her, felt like backing away just in case. He was about to do so when her face relaxed, and she smiled. Her smile was like a ray of sunlight through an overcast sky.

"That," she said, "is the first time anyone has ever said that to me. Thank you, Valkron."

Valkron smiled back, relieved that he had finally been able to tell her what he had felt of her. He felt the deep affection in him reach out for her; his hands did so, and he leaned forward and kissed her deeply.

They stood there, oblivious to the people around them. For once the world around them stopped turning; an overwhelming sense of unity and hope surrounded them, holding on tightly to each other like a pair of hands firmly, but gently, gripping each other, with the promise that whatever happened they would stay that way.

It felt like years had passed when they broke apart, but the hands of the clock in the midst of the Izlude stalls had only moved a few centimetres. Valkron exhaled slowly, trying to allow the sensation to slip away as slowly as possible.

"Let's go home," he said.

* * *

Valkron had to run down to the riverside in order not to miss the moonrise; Emeth had already gone. When he reached the designated spot the wizard was nowhere to be seen.

"I was thinking of coming to get you," said the wizard's voice. Valkron jumped and looked around. All the shadows in the forest were the same, and it didn't help that Emeth was tall and lanky - just like the trees of Britoniah.

"Over here." A shadow shifted, and Emeth got off a tree he was leaning on.

The knight stared. Before Emeth had moved he had blended in with the surroundings so well it was as if he hadn't been there at all.

"Since when did you learn how to be so skilful in forest ways?" he asked him, as they sat down on the grass. Below them, the river lapped at the steep bank. Apart from their voices and the crickets chirping around them, the sound of running water was constantly present.

"A few things I learned while I stayed in Geffen," replied Emeth, shrugging. "An old hunter told me most of it."

Valkron looked at the sky. The moon was not out yet, but the stars were already far overhead.

"I still can't figure out why you hid all this time," he said. "People searched for you, you know. You never showed yourself after you defeated Turtle General."

"Why should I? As I've said before, I don't find any appeal in being a so-called hero." Emeth crossed his legs and supported his chin.

"Then why did you intervene for?"

"Some inbuilt instinct to protect people."

Valkron looked at Emeth. The wizard was gazing at the river, where the black waters could only be seen as an occasional silver ripple.

"And that was it?" he said.

"Mm-hm."

"You didn't want the reward, either."

"Nope. I've got nothing to do with ten million zeny."

"You could give it to charity."

"Yeah, whose?"

Valkron sighed. "Are you trying to tell me that it's nothing to be proud of?"

"What is?"

"Being someone with golden eyes?"

Emeth nodded, still gazing at the river. "I've gone to the libraries of Prontera, Geffen and Juno, and they all tell me the same thing. People with golden eyes are very rare. The cases occur with a one to ten million ratio chance. Also, there has been no record of two people with golden eyes."

"And who knows what they might turn you into if anyone found that out," said Valkron.

"Mm." Emeth looked into the sky. "I'd either be revered and honoured, or shunned. Since I've spent more than half my life experiencing the latter, I wasn't going to take a risk."

"That was impressive, though."

"What was?"

"Fighting Turtle General on your own."

Emeth shrugged again. "It was nothing. I was getting sick of him."

"Were you in the Battle of Al'Zahur?"

"Me? Haha. No. I just happened to be in Morroc around the time of the battle, collecting mushroom samples from the Thieves' Guild. When the Battle of Al'Zahur started, the thieves left the guild, so I couldn't access it." Emeth looked at Valkron. "You were the one who stopped the entire battle, though. I heard you went into the fray and showed the rebel leaders who's boss."

"That's a very crude way of putting it," said the knight.

"But it's true."

"Huh."

They sat there for some time. Then Emeth looked up and said, "Hey, moonrise."

Valkron turned his face to the sky. The edge of a silver disc was emerging slowly from the forest canopy. As it did, the moonlight fell onto the river, revealing the ripples of the powerful current as the untamed river flowed past.

They watched as the moon slowly rose above them, illuminating everything around them with silver light. When the moon had risen fully, Emeth leaned backwards until gravity overcame balance and he thumped quietly on the grass. Valkron watched, amused, as the wizard uncrossed his long legs and put his arms behind his head.

"How's the grass?"

"Perfect," answered the wizard. "Soft, cool and dry. No insects whatsoever."

Valkron lay down on the grass as well. They lay there, as the moon made its way up the invisible arc that only it knew.

After a long while, Valkron said, "So you're okay? Did Samaroh look you over? You were seriously injured."

"The glowing eyes state used some of my energy to heal them."

"_Some?_ Are you taking me for granted?"

"Fine, a lot. But to me it was some."

"I thought Argath's grip on you never actually left."

"Because you don't know much about magic, I'm going to let that pass," said Emeth. "If I channel a large amount of magic into my body, my eyes glow. When Argath used me, he forced me to channel a great amount of old magic. The portal forced magic into me as well, in an attempt to tempt me."

"You didn't use magic on Zweihaender."

"Nope, but to fight I need energy. Magic and energy have very few differences."

"So that means I can use magic as well?"

"If you know how to channel it right, yep. I taught you how to blunt your sword during training, right? That's an example."

"Where did you get the energy from, then?"

"Conversion of magic."

"What? I've never heard of someone converting magic into energy."

"Energy is like magic, Valkron. You need energy to fight. I need energy to cast spells. Channelling magic into my body when I have enough energy is simple. I doubt anyone else can convert magic into energy - it's all due to the fact that I have golden eyes."

"It's like you have some kind of hidden ability that activates when your eyes glow," remarked Valkron.

"You could say that. I don't usually run out of energy when my eyes glow, mainly because I convert excess magic into energy for my own usage."

"Doesn't it hurt?"

"Nope. Nothing at all, apart from an odd tingle you get up your spine as the magic flows into you."

And how many people with golden eyes have been born in our world?"

"No idea. Could be several hundred, considering the size of our world."

"In the kingdom?"

"Records say about ten so far. I'm the eleventh."

"And there've never been two people with golden eyes in the same region?"

"Nope."

They stayed silent again. In the silence, the crickets sang in the shrubbery. The river continued to lap at the bank as it flowed from the mountains north of the kingdom.

"I'm sorry," said Emeth.

"What for?"

"For forcing you to go against your beliefs and rules."

"That's fine."

Pause.

"I'm sorry, too."

"For what?"

"For not protecting you."

"Oi, mate, I'll be damned if I can't protect myself."

"I know, I know."

And then, for a long time there wasn't any talking.

Valkron spent the long silence gazing up at the moon. It was indeed a beautiful night. There were no clouds; the moon and the stars shone together. Below the river mirrored the moon, the ripples distorting the image and making it even more stunning. He could hear the life of the forest around them - the whisper of leaves rustling, the ceaseless song of the crickets and rushing water of the river. Ambernites squelched to and fro, completely oblivious to the presence of the two men - one ambernite even had a time trying to figure out how to get around Emeth's leg, and found out that going over it had not been a good idea, especially when what it thought was a log suddenly grew an arm and yanked it off.

Finally, when the moon began to sink, Emeth sighed. Valkron started a little at the sound; he had been so deep in his thoughts that he had momentarily forgotten Emeth was there.

"Right, we'd best be going and catch up on sleep," he said, sitting up with a rustle. "Especially me."

Valkron sat up. "It's still going down."

"We've caught the best parts." Emeth yawned as he dusted bits of grass off him. "I'd like to get some rest."

Valkron agreed with him. They got to their feet and shook the grass off their trousers and tunics.

"I'm surprised Kushana didn't come out here as well," commented Valkron.

"Heh? Oh, she was asked to help out with moving things from the Hunters' Guild. She's staying there for the night."

Valkron frowned a little.

"Ready to go back?" Emeth asked him.

"Wait."

The wizard looked at him in surprise. The knight looked up at him.

"Emeth," he said, "would you consider us as good friends?"

"Good friends?" asked the wizard, with some scepticism. "Valkron, you call a couple of people who are always at loggerheads with each other friends?"

The knight raised his eyebrows. "You know what I mean."

Emeth shrugged. "So-so."

"Are you being pessimistic?"

"Yup." Emeth raised his hands protectively at Valkron's expression. "I'm being truthful, at least."

"I'm not surprised. Your name in Geffenese means 'truth'."

"How'd you know that?"

"I stole it from your mind," said Valkron sarcastically. "I looked it up, you idiot. How else would I know?"

Emeth rolled his eyes. "You call this friendship?"

"You know what? Forget I ever asked that question. It was stupid." Valkron took a deep breath. "But I can say this - you're the first person I've met in my life whom I consider someone even better than a best friend to me."

It took a few minutes for Emeth to work this out. Then he said, "Really?"

"Mm."

"Honestly?"

"Yes."

"Not fibbing?"

"Why would I fib?"

The wizard smiled. "And you're the first person who's ever considered me that way, for me."

Valkron clapped him on the back. "That's good to hear. Let's go home. Any moment now the sun will be up."

* * *

This chapter was...

...NOT inspired by Naruto OST.

I made a switch to Enya's album Paint the Sky with Stars, after several chapters of heated, intense fighting. I named the chapter after part of the chorus of one of the songs:

_On my way home, I remember only good days;_

_On my way home, I remember all the best days,_

_And on the way home, I can remember every new day._

The song also contains the words _Stars high above me, make a wish under moonlight._

Interestingly, I wasn't listening to the words when I wrote this chapter. I just realised.

Also, the reason for the occasional scream at my forgetfulness is because I forgot I had to translate what Raven and Valkron said in Morrocian in chapter 36 (The Guilds in Darkness). I'll put that in the next chapter's author notes section.

I also notice I've been writing an extra 10KB for the past few chapters. In school I write 20KB for 4 hours; at home I write 30KB for 2-3 hours. o.O

note: Raul Exparagus a.k.a. the Gloomy Wizard is an actual NPC found at the top of Geffen Tower. He's part of the wizard job change test.


	59. The Prontera Standard

Chapter 59  
_**The Prontera Standard**_

"_What?_ Alya's _pregnant_?" exclaimed Iruna as she shoved Valkron aside in her eagerness to know more.

Adiemus nodded. "I've known this for the past week, but I didn't manage to tell you because you were all so busy with the guild war."

"He told Selva and me, though," said Raven, from behind the crusader.

"Since when did she know?" asked Iruna, oblivious to the sounds of Valkron getting off the floor.

"Just two weeks ago. The mail was slow, so the letter with all the details came last week."

"That's amazing!" said Kushana. "Congratulations, Adiemus! You're going to be a grandfather!"

Raven nearly died from laughing so hard. The old crusader looked affronted, but he had a grin on his face.

"You know, I actually never expected someone from this guild to say that," he said, as Valkron finally got a grip on the table and steadied himself. "Congratulations, Kushana. You're the second person to say that to me."

"Who was the first?" asked Emeth.

Adiemus pointed at Raven.

"No matter what you do, women are always going to be women," muttered Valkron, dusting himself.

"So when's the big day?" asked Samaroh, looking up from his work. "Obviously nine months from now on, but an estimate...?"

"The eleventh month, hopefully." Adiemus looked ten years younger with his smile. "And then we'll be celebrating."

"What was Vineis' reaction?" asked Eni, leaning across the table until it creaked dangerously, and Aramithar pulled her back down.

"He was elated. According to Alya, he's never even imagined being a father, let alone getting married."

"Yeah, and now Adiemus has some misgivings about what he first thought of Vineis," said Raven, grinning.

"What are you talking about, you cheeky rogue?" asked Adiemus, looking incredulously at him. "You're the one who changed your opinion of Vineis! Tell them the first thing you said when you read the letter!"

"'You're going to be a granddad'?"

"Raven," said the crusader dangerously, while the others roared with laughter.

"All right, all right. I said to him, 'Sounds like Vineis will make a good father.'"

"That's what you think?" asked Valkron, grinning.

"Yeah. I'm being honest," he added, raising an eyebrow.

"You should celebrate, Adiemus," said Iruna, clapping her fellow crusader on the back. "Your only daughter's about to have a child and you're still sitting around here? Why don't we all have a bit of a cheer tonight?"

"Iruna, it's late," said Valkron. "You said you had work to do in the Order tomorrow. More than half of us are going to work early tomorrow. How about just waiting until Alya's child is born? I don't actually see why we should celebrate now."

"You're being a killjoy, Valkron," said Iruna, pouting; Emeth was actually making snorting sounds as he tried to stop himself from laughing.

"Your womanly skills are not working on me, that's for certain," retorted the knight, as Raven and Adiemus looked on in amusement.

Iruna gave him a pleading look. Valkron relented. "All right. You guys can give three cheers. But after that, all of you to bed, and that includes _you_. No, don't give me that look, Emeth, and you can jolly well stop laughing at me now!"

"All right! I'll lead it!" Raven called out. He stood on his chair and punched the air. "Three cheers for Adiemus! Hip hip!"

"Hooray!" Two floors above, more than ten people woke up and wondered what the noise was all about.

"Hip hip!"

"Hooray!" Atop the battlements, roosting birds took off in fright.

"One more! Hip hip!"

"_Hooray!_" Ambernites squelched away as quickly as they could, making sure they would never surround Repherion on a late night like this.

"Right, I've got a sore throat now," remarked the rogue, clambering down. Adiemus sighed, shaking his head.

Valkron got to his feet and clapped his hands. "Okay, time for everyone to get to bed!" he called out. "Go on! We need to work! Go!"

With much grumbling, but amiably, everyone rose from their seats and went off. Valkron went over to Adiemus and Raven.

"Both of you can have the guest rooms next to Hlin's," he said. "You can't travel back at this late hour, not even if Shen's waiting for you at the entrance to Greenwood Lake. I doubt he'd stay up so late, though - he's still being hired to do palace work."

"You don't have to bother, Valkron. We'll just go now, how's that? It's not too late," assured Raven.

"Just stay. Hlin's already prepared the two rooms. You can join us for breakfast tomorrow."

"Give in, Raven," said Adiemus, digging his elbow into the rogue's ribs. "You know Valkron."

"Stop associating me with something I don't even know," said Valkron.

"It's a good thing, Valkron. It's a good thing." Adiemus propelled Raven out of the room by his shoulders. "No, don't struggle. You should accept your host's invitation. It's called manners."

"Rogues don't have manners!" Raven's defending statement made Valkron chuckle.

He went up to his room and sighed contentedly. The atmosphere now seemed so peaceful compared to the hectic guild war sessions in the past few weeks. He was sure that he would sleep in peace for the next few nights.

* * *

Valkron had barely stepped into the cool shadows of the Chivalry when the receptionist's squeal of joy and delight nearly broke his eardrums. "Sir! You're back!"

"You seem to have missed me quite a lot," he said, digging his ear gingerly. "How are you?"

"Oh, I'm fine, sir!" The girl was positively bubbling over with delight to see him. "You haven't been here for so long that we thought something had happened to you!"

Valkron sighed. Take temporary absence from the Chivalry and this is what I get when I get back, he thought.

"So...any work for me?"

"Ooh!" squealed another girl next to her.

Valkron looked between the receptionist and her. "Who's she?"

"Oh, she's my new assistant," said the receptionist brightly. "She's always wanted to meet you! _Always!_"

_Crap, fangirl_ thought Valkron.

"She's said that you always ask her the same things!" said the other girl, who appeared to be making little hops into the air. "I should make sure to remember what you say, so that I know what to do before you even ask!"

_I ask pretty straightforward questions, you know_, he thought, staring at her.

The receptionist cleared her throat. "Sorry, I was having a bit of an euphoria attack there," she said, her voice normal now. "I don't think anyone assigned you any work, sir."

"I'd like to check, just in case," said the knight, looking up at her. "It isn't courteous to inconvenience people."

"He's so polite!" said the receptionist's assistant, clasping her hands together with a dreamy air. "And he's so handsome!"

"Hush you," said her superior. "You're embarrassing us." She caught sight of Valkron's expression and smiled apologetically. "Sorry, sir. I guess all girls are the same, wherever you go."

"I know this is odd for a man to say, but I doubt very much that I'm handsome. I'm old, that's one thing for certain."

"Each to his or her own, sir." The receptionist flipped through the folders on her desk. "Ah, I've made a folder with your name stuck on it. I think you received a few requests."

"Not work?"

"Let me check." She opened the folder and flicked through the notes in it. "Nope, no work. I've written a note here that says 'Head of Mercenary Knight Battalion wants his papers back', though. I don't remember you receiving any work from him."

"That would be his report to the superiors," said Valkron pleasantly. "I was proofreading it. Don't tell them that, please - they don't know the poor man's suffered from learning difficulties before. And it's 'Mercenary Knights' Battalion'."

"Oops, must have missed that out." She pencilled it in.

"What else do I have in there?" he asked, deliberately ignoring the adoring assistant.

"I've got notes all over this piece of scrap paper," remarked the receptionist. "You got popular last week. People suddenly came and asked to see you. I don't think you'll want to see most of them, though, so I'll give you the important names."

"Go ahead."

"Sagna, Inigo, and Lucius."

Valkron raised an eyebrow, puzzled. "Corporal Inigo and _Lucius_? What does an _assassin_ want with me?"

"I'm sure he doesn't want to kill you," she said. "No assassin who intends to kill you would ask for you politely at my desk and wait for ten minutes while I checked if you were in - well, not an assassin in the right state of mind. He said he wanted to tell you something, so he'd be grateful if you could drop by the Assassins' Guild any time."

"I can't just 'drop by'. Morroc's hundreds of miles away from here."

"Not from Geffen."

"Oh, yeah." Valkron massaged his forehead. "Sorry. I must be getting old."

"Who isn't?" The receptionist looked down at her files. "Corporal Inigo's not in today - he's out in Mjolnir training with his tutor. So I guess that leaves Sagna."

"All right, thanks." Valkron turned to go. "I'll see what he wants."

The two girls watched him go. The receptionist's assistant sighed dreamily. "He's wonderful."

"Look, you don't have to go fangirl all over him!" snapped the receptionist, giving her a cuff on the ear. "He dislikes being adored! Everyone knows he keeps his love for his guild and the world."

The assistant's face fell. "Has he ever shouted at you?" she asked.

"Nope." The girl looked at where Valkron had gone. "I think it's because there's no reason for him to shout at me, not even on one of his bad days. So don't give him a reason to be unkind to you. There's a benefit to have him hanging around the hall."

"What do you mean?" asked her assistant.

The receptionist smiled. "You'll see."

* * *

"Hey yo, Valkron!" exclaimed Enriel. He held up a gloved hand. "Long time no see!"

"You too, Enriel," said the older knight, slapping his hand on the supervisor's. "As lively as ever, I see. The Prontera Press keeping you on your toes?"

"Oh, hell yeah. But we're leaping ahead of them now! We've found out what their source is, and we're now leeching off from it!"

"Good to hear one of Saladin's tricks being utilised, after so long." Valkron grinned. "How's things, besides them?"

The blue-haired supervisor of the Information Department, City Division, shrugged nonchalantly. "Can't really describe it, but I'd pick smooth. Working has never felt so good."

Valkron laughed. "You raise my spirits with that talk of yours."

Enriel grinned.

"So how's Sagna?" asked the commander, lowering his voice.

"Sagna? Oh, he's fine, fine. He's settled down now, and he's friends with practically all the veterans of the department. Erika especially loves him to bits."

"Making you jealous?"

"Nah, she loves him like a son as much as she takes care of Nadir."

"When are you guys going to get married?"

"No idea. These days life's so busy you just can't find the time to plan anything. She'd like a nice, quiet wedding with just the Information Department attending, though."

"And Nadir? I haven't seen him for some time." Nadir was a young purple-haired rookie 'information gatherer' knight under Enriel, usually distinguishable by his polite nervous look. He was also short - shorter than Sagna.

"Honing his skills with Erika. Trugan's gone with them to see if he can improve, so the department's quieter these days." Enriel sighed. "You know, you long for peace, but when the day comes you suddenly want people to spring back into life again..."

"I know how you feel," said Valkron - and he did; the thirteenth month was still fresh in his memories. "Anyway...what's Sagna doing now?"

"Working on proofreading. Why?"

"According to the receptionist he wants to see me."

"Oh, yeah. I remember that too. He told me it was something important, so he wanted to talk to you in private." Enriel turned around to the general mess that was the Information Department and bellowed, "Oi, Sagna! Valkron's here!"

"I'm surprised you can shout that loudly, Enriel," said Valkron, digging his ear gingerly. "Considering you rarely shout at all."

"You learn fast when you're here," replied the supervisor. "Otherwise you'll never be heard in here - and being unheard in this department isn't favourable, I tell you. It's necessary for work. Sorry if I shattered your sense of hearing back there. Ah, there he is."

Sagna, dressed in a simple tunic and trousers, came running up. "Yes, sir?"

Enriel jerked his thumb at Valkron.

"Oh, hi, sir." Sagna looked back up at the supervisor, who said, "Yeah, go. Before I change my mind."

"Thanks, sir."

Valkron accompanied Sagna out of the Information Department, he asked, "What's up?"

"Just something I'd like to say, sir." Sagna looked at him. "Where shall we go?"

* * *

They ended up in the pavilion that ran through the practice courts as a divider. The Chivalry was silent at this time of the day - most rookies were in theory classes.

"So how's the department turning out for you, Sagna?" asked Valkron, as he sat down at one of the marble tables in the shade of the pavilion. "And how's the work?"

"It's great!" replied the young knight ecstatically. "The people there are really friendly, and the work's fun! I miss training, though."

"If you want to train, get Trugan as your partner."

"Why? He's good?"

"He could learn a thing or two from you." Valkron grinned at his ex-student's expression. "All right, all right. If you want a good training, go with Saladin. He's excellent at spears."

"Just like you're excellent with swords?"

"I prefer swords. If I had the time I'd come along and give you a go, but the guild war takes up my time."

"Ah."

Valkron raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"I want to talk to you about the guild war, sir." The young knight was suddenly serious.

Valkron sat back in his seat. "Spill it."

"Last month, there was an edition of _The Prontera Standard_ in which there was an article reporting on the guild soiree at the castle. The reporter was Serissa, right?"

"Yes," said Valkron, wincing at the memory of the reporter.

Sagna rummaged in a small, squarish pouch hanging from his belt. "I cut it out and carried it around with me just in case I met you in the passageways. Here."

He handed over a small, much-folded piece of paper from the pouch. Valkron took it and unfolded it carefully so as not to tear it.

The article was actually much larger than it looked, once he had unfolded it. He flattened it on the table and smoothed the creases out of it.

_TENTH GUILD SOIREE MORE PROMISING THAN BEFORE_

_It was with much glitter at the Prontera Castle on the previous night_, wrote Serissa, Guild Reporter, _when the guilds of the year arrived at the steps. This year's guild soiree broke the previous record of attendance made by high ranking officers from around the kingdom, as well as the guild leaders whose flags were worthy of being hung from the rafters of the Great Hall._

_Amongst the names we know so well, guilds worthy of noting were the Exodus Faction, the Defenders of Prontera and Apocalypse Ultima. After dropping in ranking they now maintain their positions, and are rumoured to be on the rise. Of course, the guilds Guardians of Geffen and the Legionnaires are still standing strong, but they pale in comparison to the obvious champions of the Black Cross and the Seven Eyes._

_However, one guild that made its presence this year is the Raulus, also known famously as the Guild of the Phoenix for its proud emblem. Your reporter has had the luck to actually meet the guild leader for herself, the infamous Valkron - the man who ended the Battle of Al'Zahur, and the one who allegedly led the campaign to destroy the Dark Portal when our world apparently suffered an attack of monsters._

_When asked if he was enthusiastic about the guild soiree, he showed almost no interest in the fact that his presence alone was already turning heads to his direction. He showed the same disinterest when your reporter resumed questioning after the opening ceremony, although he suggested that a guild leader's life was preferable compared to his mercenary days. _

_This persistence later showed itself when your reporter asked him about what he would do if his guild was forcibly disbanded by the Prontera Court. He replied flatly that it was "something a guild leader would not want to consider". However, it was evident that no matter how much he tried to hide his true colours he could not hide the fact that he was already one of the fiercest guild leaders driving his own guild forwards._

_Others seem to think that Valkron does not actually seem to be telling the truth about his disinterest in becoming well-known throughout the kingdom, and indeed the continent. As the leader of the Legionnaires stated, "Valkron likes being secretive about his real motives for his participation in the guild war."_

_According to to our reliable source, Valkron himself has brought attention to the fact that he fights in the guild war with the main intention of "protecting the world". If he believes so, then why is he ignoring the kingdom's welfare? Is it not true that by protecting the kingdom, he can prove to us that he can protect the world? _

_Indeed, many do not believe that there was such a thing called the Dark Portal. Those who do not believe say that Valkron utilised black magic in order to confuse the king over that blank period of time on our history. But why? What would a knight commander of the Royal Prontera Chivalry have with our kingdom?_

_With that note, your reporter has come to the conclusion that this year's guilds have more potential than those of last year - especially the Raulus._

Valkron stared at the article. It felt as if his brain had frozen solid. His fingers had gone numb.

"I really wonder why they make up stories to sensationalise everything," said Sagna, his chin on his hand. "I mean, why tell lies for the sake of entertainment? Even worse, that isn't you, sir. It just isn't you."

"They know that, don't they?" asked Valkron. His voice didn't sound like his own. "That I'm not the kind of person to do this?"

"I wish I could say that for the majority of the population." Sagna sighed. "And they believe what they read, too..."

"There's got to be a way of correcting this." Valkron looked up at Sagna. "Can't I do something about it? Demand that they change it?"

"Nope. Besides, that article's old. Why would they bother to print something about you when they've already set the stage? Anyway, it might look like you're desperate about keeping a nice, shiny image."

Valkron had to admit that his ex-student was right. "But is there any way of correcting my image? I can't walk around Prontera like this!"

"People who think they know you from the article don't walk the streets of Prontera anymore, sir," Sagna pointed out. "The reason being they don't want to walk on the same ground as you. They've gone to the other cities, and they're probably spreading the story now as we talk."

The older knight looked back down at the article. "It can't stay this way, though."

"You're right, sir. It can't." Sagna leaned forward and lowered his voice. "That's why I want to suggest something to you, sir."

Valkron leaned forward to hear what the young knight had to say.

Sagna looked into his old tutor's eyes. "We'll be doing an article on you as well."

"What for? Although your periodical is the mouthpiece of the Chivalry, you can't just try to improve my image! It makes it look like the Chivalry is trying to protect me! You're not even that popular!"

"Trust me, sir. After we found out that 'reliable source' of the Prontera Press, we know what to do now. We won't blackmail or bribe. They're playing a game with us and you, sir, so it's time we turned the tables on them."

"You'll still look like the Chivalry's protecting me and its image."

"Better than doing nothing, sir."

Valkron looked into his ex-student's eyes. The determination in them sparked a thought in his head: _He's worried for me._

"_The Prontera Standard_'s just being its usual lousy self," said the young man. "That's why you've got to trust us. You've got to trust _The Voice of the Knights_. If we don't show support for you, who will?

* * *

Ah, thank god. This chapter wasn't that long after all.

Anyway...keeping my promise.

From chapter 36:

-- "Bunch of _al'kravahk_," said the rogue.

_Al_ is used to denote that the word that follows it (usually an adjective) refers to either a place or a name (or person). _Kravahk_ means garbage or dirty person (i.e. beggar/street urchin), so the translation is 'thing that should not be trusted', or, to be brief, 'nonsense'.

-- "It's not like we can do anything about it, can we?" said Raven. "_Emisht ihk'la tredian messikt._"

The sentence is too long to break down word by word, so the rough translation is "It looks like there is no hope for us."

-- "Oh, really? _Avasht kraddin m'elhkla, ihk'la tredian ul'issimit_." (Valkron)

Again, it's too long to break down, so the complete translation is "If you don't hope you might as well go and drown yourself in the oasis." (Remember that this is Morrocian.)

The language is made up, so don't bother to translate this by asking a professional. However, I tried to base it on Arabic and Egyptian, since Morroc is based on those cities. Morrocian is also written in hieroglyphs, so a word like _tredian_ could be made up of two or three hieroglyphs. It is the only language in the Kingdom of Rune-Midgard that was _not_ derived from Old Runic.


	60. Taking Action

Chapter 60**  
Taking Action**

The first person Valkron saw when he entered the Chivalry's main hall from the Information Department was Corporal Inigo. The young knight was with his tutor, and talking to him in a low voice. Kuroihi was silent.

Valkron stopped and waited for them. Although he disliked Kuroihi and Inigo, personal matters did not give him a reason to be impolite and barge into their conversation. He nodded at the receptionist, ignoring the puppy eyes the assistant was giving him, and focused on the far side of the hall.

They did not stop walking; they were heading towards where Valkron stood. The knight commander did not give them a second glance. However, as they got nearer, their conversation got louder.

"...there was probably a reason as to why you were expelled," the corporal was saying, as they reached the desk. "It's not as if Vineis would be unreasonable."

"But why?"

Inigo looked up just then, and saw Valkron.

The temperature dropped so far that if it had been possible, the Chivalry hall would have frozen over.

"Hello, sir," said Inigo. Kuroihi said nothing.

Valkron turned to him. "Good day, corporal."

"Why are you here today, sir? You haven't come to work for some time."

"I'm here to check if I have any work. Apparently the receptionist told me that you wanted to see me."

Inigo looked at the receptionist, who raised her eyebrows at him. "I'm not doing anything wrong, am I?"

There was a pause, and then the corporal said, "Fine."

"I'll leave you two alone," said the blindfolded knight. "See you tomorrow in my office."

"Yes, sir."

Inigo waited until Kuroihi had disappeared from sight, and then turned to the commander. "I just want to talk to you very briefly," he said.

"That's fine, if you want it," replied Valkron.

The corporal turned his head to one side and looked at Valkron sideways. "I won't forgive you for what you did to my tutor. You've completely destroyed his other life now, with your aggressive ploy and underhand tactics. You even attempted to strangle him. Don't expect us to not hold a grudge against you from now on."

Valkron blinked. Was this really Inigo talking to him? The corporal seemed to have acquired a venomous aura to him, and there was an edge to his voice. It was as if he was defending his tutor - and this was a first, since it was usually the other way round.

"Fair enough," he said.

Inigo's eyes narrowed. "You don't regret what you've done?"

Valkron shurgged. "Inigo, I've never seen you in the guild wars. You probably don't understand what it feels like to stand up for your guild and make others understand that you're not going to get easily bullied."

"I get that treatment all the time from you!" the corporal hissed ferociously.

"And?"

"You're just making yourself bigger than you look!"

"Really?"

Inigo gaped at him. The commander looked away.

"Being a guild leader is a lot harder than you think, Inigo," he said quietly. "Sometimes you have to make harsh decisions, decisions you've never thought of, and never want to make. It's not all 'hey, I'm bigger than you so get out of my sight'. Right now, I'm deciding that your decision to never forgive me doesn't affect on my future - my future as a knight. I'm old, Inigo. I don't care anymore. And I've got my own troubles. What's past is past. Kuroihi taught you that, I know. Never linger on the past."

Inigo scowled. "Because of you, he's been expelled from the guild. What do you think?"

Valkron shrugged. "It's really not my problem. I'm not being inhuman - this is how we all think. Humans are selfish creatures."

The corporal would have gone for the older knight's throat if it had not been for the solemn, quiet voice that interrupted with, "He is right, Inigo."

They turned to see the dark-skinned assassin standing behind them. He was wearing a headband, with a wide strip of metal on the front. Inscribed on the metal was an Old Rune Valkron recognised as _raidho_, usually indicating the wisdom of the wielder to see the right opportunity and deciding to take it. He was quite surprised to see it.

Lucius approached them. "You finally return to the Chivalry after so long," he said, in his Morrocian accent. "I have been waiting."

"What are you doing now?" hissed Inigo. "Fraternising with the enemy?"

"Inigo, when will you learn?" said Lucius, giving him a look. "Sometimes the enemy can be useful, and sometimes they deserve to know things. Be gone with you - I wish to speak to Valkron in private."

"Vines will hear about this," snarled the corporal, before he turned and strode off. Valkron watched him go absently.

He was jolted out of his thoughts when Lucius' voice cut through them. "Sometimes I wonder what Kuroihi teaches the boy. The knowledge of battle is of course vital to one such as him, but a few values of life would not hurt."

"Why do you want to see me, Lucius?" asked Valkron. "I'm sorry if I sound short-tempered, but I've not been having a good day and right now I'd like to go home and stay there for a couple of days."

The assassin looked at him. Valkron looked into his solemn golden-brown eyes and wondered what he was in for.

"Is there any place we can speak, without people overhearing us?" he asked.

The knight nodded. "I know where to go."

* * *

The Crown and Axe, at this time of the day, was crowded with merchants, blacksmiths, priests, alchemists and plenty of other people. The din was deafening, and the heat was almost unbearable; Valkron, however, chose to squeeze through and sit down at a table in the far corner.

"Why do you pick such a place, of all places?" asked Lucius, sounding quite choked. "This place is incredibly noisy! How can we talk in here?"

"Because there is less chance of people overhearing us."

The assassin looked at Valkron. "What do you--"

"I imagine that the head of the senior circle--"

"Deputy."

"--sorry, deputy, thank you, would not talk to me unless he had a good reason to do so. And usually that good reason involves something confidential, am I right?" Valkron fixed his eyes on Lucius.

"You are sharp. Yes, you are correct." Lucius settled down into the chair next to Valkron.

"Would you like a drink? I imagine that you would have travelled a long way from Morroc to see if I was in the Chivalry."

"Yes, I did. Thank you for your offer, but I do not drink from the taverns wherever I go." Lucius showed Valkron a small bottle. "I carry my own drink."

"In the fear of being assassinated yourself?"

The assassin raised an eyebrow. "Valkron, you would make a very good assassin."

"If I could move as stealthily as you can, I would have." Valkron smiled briefly. "So what is it that you wish to bring to my attention?"

Lucius looked troubled. "I believe you have been told that the Black Cross is playing a complex game."

"Don't we all?"

"No, this is another game of which the details are not clearly known to the entire guild population."

"I've heard of it."

"I imagined you would have." Lucius leaned on the table, his gloved hands in front of him. "Have you ever wondered what game it is?"

"Well, no," admitted the knight.

"I am not surprised. This game, Valkron, does not involve the other guilds, including yours. However, I fear it may affect you and your guild."

"In what way?"

"In a way you would have never imagined," replied the assassin. "A way that is not desired. You have ambitions, and you have proved it to us - as you have shown with the Left and Right Wings of the Phoenix. Some say you are on campaign to drive us out of RUne-Midgard."

"I am leaving the Valkyrie Realms untouched, Lucius," said Valkron. "I respect Vineis' power."

"Yes, but you have taken three areas, and left one. They say that if you were fair, you would have left us Luina, at least. You are not completely ignorant of the fact that the Black Cross has the military power of a small country, and we are completely capable of defending the north boundary from potential attackers."

"You've planned _that_ far?" asked Valkron in amazement.

"Vineis has."

Valkron shook his head. "I am astounded by your leader's ambitions. But back to the topic - what about this 'game'? Why is it so significant to me, if it does not involve the Raulus?"

"The game is being played within the Black Cross," explained the assassin. "That is why it does not involve the Guild of the Phoenix. However, whoever is manipulating the strings is crumbling the Black Cross from within, and you may be accused of breaking guild laws."

"Why should I?"

"To get rid of us. Winning by underhand attrition. It is completely forbidden."

"The Guild Correspondent would understand, won't he? As well as the Guild Liaison Office?"

"The Guild Liaison Office, I am sad to say, is just a formality. As for Seyren, he is very set in his ways, and he is a by the book person. Because he works for the king, I doubt he would want to investigate your case. Also, he does not side any guild."

"So even if the guild presents a fair case to counter his arguments, he won't back down?"

"With sufficient evidence, he will release the defendant without further ado. Unfortunately you need a very reliable source of evidence to convince him. I warn you, Valkron - he has the final word in any guild court case."

"And why would I be targeted?"

"I have no idea behind the motive for it, but I believe it is because you are a threat to whoever it is carrying out the plan. Another theory is that the person wishes to destroy both our guilds." Lucius looked at the table. "It may be that the motive is both, but I do not know."

"And how do you know this is happening?"

Lucius looked up at Valkron. His deep-set golden-brown eyes had a look of vengeance.

"Recently, Vineis issued an order of expulsion. Kuroihi and Naobi are no longer part of the guild, and neither are Arlena, Oripheus and Zweihaender."

Valkron was taken aback by this unexpected piece of news. "Why? Vineis couldn't have expelled them just because they lost the battles with us!"

"Exactly. Vineis may be unsympathetic towards his enemies, but he cares for his guild as if it were his family. He would have given the five of them a second chance." Lucius gripped his arm. "I think it is part of the plan. They were expelled to break down the strength of the senior circle."

"You can't do anything about it?"

"Once Vineis makes up his mind and signs something off, he means it. He has been absent these few days, because he is with Alya, but he sent the order through Sheuth, his right-hand man."

"And is the order genuine?"

"The signature is genuine, and so is the written order. Everything is in his handwriting."

"So you're saying that if this goes on, I will be accused of deliberately weakening the guild."

"Indeed."

"Who is left in the senior circle?"

"David, Reita, Sedir and I. I also fear for them - and myself. Everyone knows I will stay loyal to Vineis no matter what happens."

The knight sat back in his seat. "One last question, Lucius. _Why_ are you telling me this? I thought you'd just leave it and watch us die."

Lucius tapped his headband. "I believe in balance, Valkron. Of course, I am just as disgruntled as the others with you, but it does not necessarily mean I should leave you to suffer from something you did not do."

Valkron stared at the assassin for a long time. Then he said, "Is there anything I can do?"

"No. I will try to stop this as soon as I can, but I doubt I will be able to. Whatever happens, Valkron..." Lucius put his elbow on the table and held out his hand, as if he was inviting Valkron to an arm wrestling match. "...you must stay focused, and look out for your guild."

Valkron put his own elbow on the table. "Same to you, Lucius." He gripped the assassin's hand momentarily.

They stepped out of the tavern a few minutes later. Valkron turned to Lucius.

"Thank you for indicating this to me," he said. "However, I think all I can do now is take it as it comes. There is no way I can stop this."

Lucius looked taken aback. "What do you mean, Valkron? Are you not the man I know as the leader who met the Black Cross head on? You need to change this as much as possible!"

"If you try to change the future, the balance will be disrupted." Valkron nodded at him. "I believe in balance as much as you do, Lucius - and I will face it like a true warrior."

Lucius watched him go, a faint smile on his face.

"You are just like Odin, Valkron," he said quietly. "You know what is in store for you, and yet you meet it head on, never wanting to give up. But...I think that even this time you will be dismayed to know that this time everyone will suffer - and you will suffer twice as much."

* * *

There were a lot of things on Valkron's mind long after he had returned to Britoniah, taken a shower and given himself a break by taking a long nap. He wandered through Repherion listlessly, touching the wall absently as he gazed off into the distance.

Although he was worried that what Lucius said was true, he had absolutely no idea as to how to counter what would happen. Besides, he already knew what was going to happen to his guild.

_Argath saw who I was going to become_, he thought. _Now has this power transferred to me, so that I have to bear the burden of seeing what would become of my guild?_

Deeply troubled, he wandered into the meeting room, and was relieved to see Emeth at the table, working away on his research. Somehow he felt more relaxed whenever Emeth was around. He went and sat down next to the wizard, propping his chin up and gazing unseeingly at the ceiling as he mulled over the talks he had had with Sagna, Inigo and Lucius.

But there was one thought that kept kicking him at the back of the brain...

After some time, he finally gave in and listened to it.

Emeth referred to his books. The sound of pages being rapidly flipped was the only sound in the room.

"You know something, Emeth?" said Valkron vaguely.

"Hm?" The wizard was still writing furiously on his parchment, in his elegant script.

"I'm wondering if I should propose to Iruna."

There was a long _shriiaaaakk_ sound of the nib of a quill skidding sharply out of control across a piece of parchment. Then Emeth said, "Why the hell are you talking about this now?"

"Because I just thought of it." Valkron was completely oblivious of the long, curving blotted ink line that now stretched across the parchment the wizard had been writing on.

Emeth groaned. "Look at what you made me do, springing that statement on me." He waved his hand over the parchment; the line vanished backwards until it was as if the line had never been made at all. "So? What good are you getting, telling me that?"

"What's your opinion?"

The wizard sighed. "_You_ tell me."

Valkron got off his hand. "It's just that I feel that I'm not going to get anywhere if I don't make my up mind quickly."

"Hey. Marriage is a big thing." Emeth put down his quill. "It isn't just about being in love, y'know. Responsibility. Zeny. Being able to admit mistakes. If you get something wrong, you'd need to know how to correct it before it gets out of hand."

"I doubt," said a new, aristocratic voice, "that Valkron would face any problem if he ever wishes to get married."

Emeth turned around; Valkron was still gazing at the table in thought. "And why's that so, Mr Non-Conformist?"

Samaroh thumped his book down on the table and clapped his hands on Valkron's shoulders. "One: responsibility. He's a knight commander. His responsibilities make a difference to the country, no matter how small they are. So he knows how to deal with them. Two: zeny. He's probably one of the wealthiest in the kingdom, what with the number of services he's performed. Besides, she's a member of the Junoan Church, and I hear they get highly paid.

"Three: his job. He's a mercenary. She's a mercenary. They know what risks are attached to such a job. They understand what it entails. Certainly no misunderstanding there. And lastly - disagreements." The priest closed his eyes and held out his hand as if receiving money from a bet he had just won. "Have you noticed that Valkron and Iruna have spent the past six months arguing, anyway?"

"True," admitted the wizard.

"So, surmising from those points and the current situation in his relationship, don't you think it would be ideal?"

"Asking the question itself is a big thing," said Emeth. "And how the hell would you know about marriage? You don't even want to marry."

"Yes, of course the question is a hefty turning point in life. It is the decision to commit yourself to living with a complete stranger unrelated to you for the rest of your life. Asking it is like putting forward the suggestion of creating aforesaid scenario, and answering the question is the word that will change your entire life for ever. Valkron's committed to his job; why can't he be committed to her? And I know about marriage because other priests tell me about the couples who come to them for help."

"Emeth, that's a pretty good question to ask you," Valkron suddenly remarked.

"What question?" asked the wizard, looking puzzled.

"How the hell would _you_ know about marriage?"

Emeth suddenly turned red. "Oh, that's because I mumble mumble mumble."

"What?" said Valkron and Samaroh.

The wizard cleared his throat. "It's because I mumble mumble mumble."

Valkron gave him a look. "Say it loud and clear," he said dangerously.

Emeth was, by this time, as red as his shirt. "Because I already proposed to Kushana," he said, a little too loudly. "Happy?"

The knight stared at him for a long time. "That was fast."

"I did it several days ago, okay?" Emeth said hotly. "When no one was looking! I asked Samaroh for permission, though."

"If you feel that asking a family member is necessary, I suggest you go and see our father," said the priest, in a cold voice. "You asked the wrong person, but I said yes anyway."

"And how was it?" asked the knight slyly.

"Hard. I swear my throat blocked itself up five times before I managed to get the voice to speak - and it wasn't very loud, at that." Emeth looked at Valkron. "Beware."

Silence.

Suddenly Samaroh looked up. "I hear people outside. Must be the women back from work."

"How'd you know?" asked Emeth.

"The voices are all feminine."

Valkron got to his feet. "I'm going to do it."

"What, _now?_" exclaimed the wizard.

"Yes."

"Leave him," said Samaroh, catching Emeth's arm as the wizard rose. "He'll be fine."

"No, I'm not stopping him."

The door opened, and all the women sans Eni came in, talking and laughing. Iruna was the last one, still dressed in her armour; her blindfold was around her neck. She had taken off the black feathery wings she wore 'for fun', though.

Valkron stopped her before she stepped over the threshold. "I'd like to talk to you outside, Iruna," he said gently. "For a while."

She looked surprised, but nodded. "Okay."

"What's going on?" asked Kushana, as the two of them went out.

Emeth and Samaroh looked at each other, unsure as to whether they wanted to spill the news or not. Then Samaroh turned to his sister and said, "He wishes to request her to engage in matrimony with him."

It took a few minutes for Kushana, Nalini, and Kala to work this out. Then Kushana exclaimed, "Really? I'm going to listen at the door!"

"Yeah, us too!" chorused Nalini and Kala. They went after Kushana.

"Wait, all of you! That's not right!" Samaroh went after them.

"Shh, Samaroh! Keep the noise down!" Emeth went after the priest.

They nearly broke through the door with their combined weight, but managed to control themselves in time. Then Kala opened the door a fraction of an inch, just in time to hear Valkron say, "Iruna, it's time I talked about this with you."

"Ooh!" gasped the dancer. The others shushed her.

Outside, Iruna nodded. "I'll listen."

"All right." Valkron's back was to the door, so he didn't see the six people piled on top of one another and listening intently. "I've been thinking about our relationship so far, and I think it's about time we did something. I can't stand this stalemate we're going through at the moment."

"Is there something wrong with it?"

"Well...no. But I have a feeling it's restricting us from getting to know each other well. That's my opinion."

"I thought so."

"So I've decided to try and do something," Valkron struggled for the right word, and then gave up, "new."

"What is it?" Iruna tilted her head to one side in innocent inquiry.

The knight looked into her eyes, and then suddenly found that he couldn't say it. He felt as if his heart had deliberately stoppered up his larynx, and it was taking a great effort to actually say something.

_Emeth's right_, he thought. _What if she says no? It's a fifty-fifty chance now, and the question is one hell to ask. This isn't some little decision. It's a decision that will change our lives forever._

_Am I ready to take the risk? Are we ready to go ahead? Is this the right time to ask? __**Am I ready to ask?**_

_You answer that yourself, Valkron_, said a voice in his head.

Valkron took a deep breath. He was going to try it.

"I want to ask you something."

She nodded.

"I just want to know if--" Damn! His throat had constricted!

He coughed, and tried to relax. This was not the time to panic. "Sorry there, a bit of a throat problem."

"Throat problem, my foot," snorted Samaroh.

Emeth cupped his hands around his mouth. "Get down on your knees!" he shouted.

Valkron resisted rolling his eyes, with some difficulty. "Ignore them," he told her. "They're getting a bit odd these days."

"I've been ignoring them since they started eavesdropping at the beginning of our conversation," she pointed out.

The knight mentally cursed the spectators behind him. "Forget them. Back to topic. I just want to know if...if..."

She watched him. Valkron tried to fit the right words into the current question, and then gave up. He took hold of her hands and brought them up to his chest. He'd disagreed with kneeling - it was as if he was faking a 'I'll let you have your way for the rest of our lives if you say yes' promise.

Just ask. Just...ask. Nothing wrong with asking.

He took a deep breath. "Will you marry me?"

There was silence. Iruna's eyes were so wide he could see the whites showing all around. Her innocent smile had disappeared from her face, to be replaced by an expression of shock.

The others held their breaths. The _whole castle_ held its breath. Time had stopped for this...for her answer.

Iruna stared a little longer, before she smiled gently. "Oh, Valkron...you're so sweet."

The six of them strained their ears to hear what she would say next.

"I already knew you were going to ask me that question, but I wanted to hear it from you." She smiled at Valkron's suddenly blank face. "Because it shows that you're willing to take the risk. And I could tell from your face. Now, I'll give you my answer."

Valkron held his breath.

She laughed. "Of course I will."

There was the briefest of pauses, and then Emeth actually leapt into the air and shouted, "YES! YOU DID IT!"

"Whoa. Down, boy," said Samaroh, his fingers in his ears. "No need to get overexcited."

But his words went unheeded. Suddenly people were surrounding them, talking excitedly. However, Iruna and Valkron only had eyes for each other. They were smiling, and Valkron couldn't stop. The overwhelming happiness in him was incredible - so incredible that he couldn't even say anything.

"I've waited for you to ask me that for so long," she said quietly. "I know we've spent a turbulent six months together, but you've taken it well, and you've been amazing. Thank you, Valkron."

"No, Iruna," he said, finally finding his voice. "You tolerated my stubbornness all this while; you've been admirable. Thank you, Iruna."

And he hugged her. Her warmth flowed through him, and he felt more contented than he had ever been before...

Suddenly there was a cheer. They broke apart to see Eni and Aramithat hand in hand, running through the hallway like a pair of young, laughing children.

"We're going to get married!" she laughed at the surprised crowd. "He proposed to me in Al de Baran!"

"So are we," said Emeth, who was with Kushana. "And so are they."

He pointed at Valkron and Iruna. The three couples looked at each other in the sudden silence.

It was Samaroh who broke the silence, and for good reason. "Leave it to me," he said confidently. "I'll make your wedding day one of those days you will never, _ever_ forget. _Guaranteed._"

* * *

I need to stop writing.

This chapter was fuelled by Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl OST, which is incredibly overwhelming when you listen to it repeatedly. I really, _really_ need to stop writing, though.

To be frank, I've been writing a chapter each day, with inspiration from music. Although it's a relief to not write so much now (this chapter is 25KB in unconverted format), it's a feeling I will miss for some time. But now I will take a brief respite from writing, and concentrate on other things, i.e. life.

Also...this chapter is now 9 chapters away from the estimated ending. Can't wait for how it will turn out? I know - I can't wait to write the end. XP

note: _Raidho_ is in fact a real rune. It looks like an angular R with an elongated back.


	61. Before the Wedding

Chapter 61  
**Before the Wedding**

The three couples left everything to Samaroh, even though they felt doubtful about the priest's claims that he could set up the most perfect wedding ceremony. For one, there were _three_ couples getting married. How was he going to set up so many events in one go?

"Just leave it to me!" he said cheerfully.

Valkron, as a guild leader, was having to struggle to find a venue. The Prontera Church was far too small for the crowd that was being invited - and since it included the guild leader, it was going to be a _big_ crowd.

"Just leave it to me!" he said cheerfully.

Then there were current political affairs to think about. Selvatinius still refused to be anywhere near Vineis, for example, and therefore the entire Apocalypse Ultima - two hundred over members in total - was not going to be next to the Black Cross, which had close to four hundred men. Also, there was going to be a lot of zeny in this.

"Just leave it to me!" he said cheerfully.

And lastly, there would be plenty of helpers - but from where? All the Kafras of the Raulus-owned castles had agreed to help, but that just wasn't enough. Bridesmaids were even harder to find; Valkron considered using Emeth to lure girls, but he decided against it. Kushana would never forgive him.

Even worse, family and relatives had to be invited.

"If you say, 'Just leave it to me' one more time, I'm going to shove my sword up your nose," warned Valkron, before Samaroh could say anything at this.

The priest blinked. "You're a bit of a killjoy, aren't you?"

"Everyone knows you're never going to contact your family again," said the knight.

"I don't have to do it, Valkron. Kushana's doing the inviting."

Ah.

"So who's giving Iruna away?" asked the priest.

"One of her uncles in Prontera. According to her he's a bit senile, but he'll do. Kushana?"

"Most likely our father."

"What about Eni?" asked Valkron, ignoring Samaroh's cold tone.

"We couldn't actually find any living relative, so we've got Nocturne to temporarily look older than he really is." Samaroh smiled sunnily at Valkron. "I did say you can just leave it to me."

"Who's Aramithar's best man?"

"His brother. Came all the way from the Far Lands to do it."

"Who's Emeth's best man?"

"Khan."

"And who's _my_ best man?"

"Amaru."

"Looks like we're short on best men in our guild," said Valkron, with a particularly sarcastic sting to his voice.

Samaroh didn't flinch. "Well, if you want to suggest Zak or Adonis, or Shen, or Silas, or Kumahar--"

"Thank you, but no." Valkron gave him a look. "You had better fix up everything."

"Don't worry, Valkron. I've even got Shen to look up on auspicious days."

"Samaroh, don't you think you're overdoing something?"

"Just in case." The priest's teeth were like white gold as he smiled. Valkron had to stop himself from shielding his eyes. "You might get some superstitious aunties in the crowd."

Valkron attempted to glare at Samaroh, and then he couldn't hold it in anymore. He burst into laughter.

"Lovely, isn't it?" said the priest, starting to chuckle. "Valkron, I know you're worried about the whole thing, but I've taken responsibility for it. I've gone through this before with other couples, so I know what to do. Word of advice: do your best, look good, stay calm, _and for goodness' sake be there_. I've known bridegrooms to take flight on the day itself, and contrary to the policy I usually get some guards to drag them back."

"What policy?"

"'If a bridegroom runs from his wedding, then the ceremony shall be left unperformed, and the bride given another chance at being single'."

"What kind of policy is that?"

"Don't ask, I don't know." Samaroh sighed. "Okay. Go and get ready. We're not doing the old-time vow taking, so be glad you don't have to memorise a thing. Go on. Shoo. Oh, and Valkron?"

"Hm?"

"It's customary for the bridegroom to not see the bride on the wedding day until she comes up the aisle."

"I know that."

"I didn't mean you. That was for Emeth. If he tries to take a look, drag him back and knock him out. Or something."

"You're a bit merciless sometimes, you know," said Valkron apprehensively.

"It's called being by the book." The priest walked off. "And I know what book I'm following."

* * *

Emeth was still suffering from grooming woes. Valkron couldn't blame him - he'd probably spent most of his life being messy, and all of a sudden he had to neat and presentable.

"You know what's harder?" he said, as Valkron watched him try to tame his messy hair. "I _know_ this is going to be one of the biggest days of my life. I can't turn up looking like a ruffian. But it's - just - so - damn - hard!"

"Did you press the suit?"

"Yes!"

"Are you going to take a shower every day up till the wedding?" Emeth had a habit of not taking a shower due to the large amount of research he had to do.

"Yes!"

"Swore on that?"

"I swore by Odin I would!"

"Sound enough. Try not to get yourself involved in anything before the wedding?"

"Yes!"

Then the only problem you have is just getting your hair to behave, and your suit to look like it was just bought." Valkron was trying not to laugh. "Emeth, why is your hair always out of place and awkward? Do you ever comb it in the morning?"

"Yes, I do. I did it ever since I was with Kushana, because she complained every time we kissed my hair would tickle her face."

There was a short period of time in which Valkron did not say anything, because he really was trying not to laugh. Emeth watched him with an annoyed expression.

"Why don't you laugh and get everything over with?" he said, a few minutes later. "It'll save me face later on, and it'll save your life. You're trying not to suffocate."

Valkron coughed. "That's because I'd rather not injure your pride."

"It'll heal. It's not like it's going to leave some sort of scar, is it?"

"Emeth," Valkron clapped him on the back, "it's amazing how extremely odd you can be for a wizard."

"Never say I didn't warn you."

The knight sighed, but he was still grinning. "Okay, let's address the problem at hand. You just need to keep your hair where it should be, yes? Not with random strands sticking out all over the place?"

"Does it really look like that?" asked Emeth, with an alarmed expression on his face.

"Yes, it does."

"Ah."

"I'll try and help as much as I can, I promise," said Valkron. "But...you could have always asked the women. They're experts on this sort of thing. _Wait_, Emeth - I think the answer we're looking for lies with Samaroh."

* * *

"My hair?" asked the priest.

"Yes."

"You want to know about my _hair_?"

"Yes."

"_You_ want to know about my hair?"

"Yes."

"You want to know about _my_ hair?"

"For the final time, yes. You know what I'll do if you repeat it again."

Samaroh looked puzzled. "Um...why?"

"Because you can keep it in place. Emeth's facing the problem of not being able to keep his own where it should belong."

"I use something on it every morning, and wash it off every night," said the priest. "Kushana used it once, when she did my hair for fun. These days I do it on my own, but she knows what it is, and where to get it from."

"You don't even _know_ what you use on your hair?"

"I trust my sister," replied the priest hastily.

Valkron massaged his forehead. "Sometimes I don't know why I put up with this...but thank you, anyway. By the way, show us how you look when you've washed your hair."

Samaroh gaped at him. "Sometimes I don't even know why I put up with _you_."

"Because we're part of a guild." Valkron smiled brightly at Samaroh. "That goes for my question, too."

* * *

The first thing Kushana did when they told her Emeth's problem was laugh.

"Oh, you're so funny, Emeth!" she giggled, leaning against a rapidly reddening Emeth. "You wander around the whole guild griping about your hair! I'd never imagined I'd see this day!"

"That makes two of us," muttered the wizard.

"No, Emeth. Three." Valkron nudged Kushana. "I'd advise you not to laugh at your poor husband-to-be. He's starting to rethink his choice."

"Oh, I know he won't," said the huntress, looking up at Emeth. "He's always true to his word. But you're right. I'm sorry." She patted aforesaid husband-to-be on the arm. "Come with me. You too, Valkron - I get complaints from Iruna about the state of your hair."

"Not her, too," sighed the knight, rolling his eyes. "I've already told her I'll cut it before the wedding. I don't plan on looking like some unkempt beggar on one of the biggest days of my life."

Kushana shook her head. "I still find you men amusing, to this very day. Wait here."

She returned shortly with a small wooden tub of something in her hands. They watched her as she put it down and unscrewed the top off.

"You've heard of soapwort, right? Well, when you break the stem of the soapwort plant, the sap that oozes out is slippery and a bit...foamy, but it cleans off the dirt pretty well. This stuff is made from condensed waxwort sap." She showed the contents of the tub to them. "Touch it."

Valkron extended a hesitant finger - he was not wearing his gloves - and touched the pale yellow paste within it. "It feels...sticky," he said. "And smooth."

"It's what I give Samaroh to keep his hair the way it is now," she told them. "Hunters have to learn about the herbs of the forest as soon as they join, and I learned about these. In old times condensed waxwort was used to waterproof containers and the like, but now we don't face a problem involving that anymore."

"By condensed," Emeth asked cautiously, "what do you mean?"

"We evaporate the water from the sap until it achieves this thick consistency. Okay, Emeth, I'm going to use it on you."

"Wait!" Emeth protested frantically. "How do I know if it's safe? It could be toxic! It might cause spontaneous combustion!"

"My brother hasn't spontaneously combusted yet, has he?" asked the huntress, in a sarcastic tone remarkably similar to Valkron's. "He's been using it for more than half his life."

Valkron sighed. "Emeth's a bit detached from the world because of his magical research. He needs some convincing. Samaroh doesn't look like he uses anything at all."

"The waxwort sap doesn't do anything to you except stick your hair together, Emeth," she explained gently. "No? Still not believing me? Okay then." She turned to Valkron. "May I borrow _your_ hair?"

"What?" Valkron suddenly felt panic rising.

"Oh, come on. You can wash it off later." She took a small amount of the paste into her hands, rubbed her palms together until the paste had been distributed evenly over her palms, and then reached out and gathered a few stray locks of Valkron's white hair. The knight stayed still as she pressed them together and pulled them out.

"If you work them into the roots, they stay stuck together for longer," she said. "And you can manipulate your own hair. See? I've restored the bushy look to his hair. You look more like yourself now, Valkron."

The knight touched his hair. "Stiff as stone."

"Here, I'll work on your hair, Emeth," said Kushana kindly. "I'll help you. You don't have to look so panicky."

"I'll just leave and take a shower," said Valkron, getting to his feet. He took one look at Emeth's face and burst out laughing.

He managed to calm down in a few minutes, although he was still suppressing a chuckle when he said, "Don't worry, Emeth. Trust your beloved wife-to-be. I'll be back shortly, how's that?"

The wizard, who had gone pale, said, "You'd better."

"Mm." Valkron flapped a hand lazily as he went out.

He came back with his hair still fairly damp and a towel around his neck. By this time Kushana had worked Emeth's hair swiftly into something that was amazingly neat and yet still matched his messy demeanour.

"You look great," she said, a few minutes after Valkron had sat down at the table. "I've got a mirror here. Take a look."

Emeth did so. "You did this?"

"Every bit of it, Emeth." Se patted him on the cheek.

The wizard looked up at Valkron, who was checking the sharpness of the blade of a dagger. "How do I look?"

"Every bit of you, Emeth, except in a more gentlemanly way."

"Really?"

"Do I look like I'm lying?"

"What are you doing with that dagger, Valkron?" asked the huntress.

Valkron looked up at her. "This? Oh. Be with you in a minute."

As they watched in amazement, and then shock, he brought the dagger behind his head with one hand. He took the long hair he had at the back of his head and gripped it into one tight, white bundle. Then. with a soft shearing sound, he sliced through the bundle between his hand and the roots of his hair.

As the white locks fell away, Emeth said, "So _that's_ how you see to your hair? You could go to a barber's, you know."

"Been there, done that, hated it," replied Valkron, carefully removing another long section. "They kept asking me if I want a bleeding service as well. For someone who's spent a lot of time bleeding, that's something you just won't want to see again. Oh, and they're really rough. At least I can moderate how much pressure I want to exert on my own head, and the length of my own hair."

"And you can see the back of your head so well?" asked Kushana.

"I've done this hundreds of times, Kushana. Believe me - my hair used to be longer than this. I just preferred having shorter hair as I grew older."

"I know why some people hate you so much," said Emeth.

"Hm? Why?"

"Because they _have_ to admit you've got style."

Valkron shrugged as he got off the chair. "Style's nothing to me in my life," he said, scooping up the locks of white hair on the floor. "I just do what I feel like doing. As long as it's right."

He went out. Emeth sighed.

"I really admire him, Kushana. I really do." He looked down at her. "I can never be like him. The way he has so much confidence and strength...I can't match up to him at all."

"Emeth, sometimes the worse brings out the best in people," she replied, patting him on the back. "Valkron's just one of them. Maybe you're different. I know we're all great in our own sense. Be happy about yourself, because that's who you are."

* * *

Lucius opened the mailbox sitting outside Gondul and checked its contents. He pulled out a bundle of letters from its depths, and closed it before walking back in.

He made his way up to Vineis' office, and knocked on the door. A voice within said, "Come in."

The assassin went in and shut the door.

"What letters today?" asked Vineis, looking up from his work.

"We have a letter from Seyren asking you to send in overdue tax," Lucius put an envelope on Vineis' table, "the afternoon edition of _The Prontera Standard_, a letter from Alya, a few letters regarding your current research from the wizards at the Geffen Magic Academy, and..."

Vineis looked up and saw Lucius' expression. "What is it?"

The assassin wordlessly handed him a small, red envelope. Written on it, in elegant, looping script and golden ink, were the words

_Vineis, The Black Cross_

_Gondul_

_Valkyrie Realms_

The wizard picked up a paper knife and slit it open. Inside it was a piece of paper with the same elegant, golden script.

_Greetings, Vineis._ A series of runes followed, which Vineis recognised as the usual greeting between wizards of Rune-Midgard. _I am pleased to have the honour of inviting you, Vineis, to represent your guild in an exchange of vows between three couples. As of now we have not decided on the venue or the day, but I promise that I will inform you as soon as possible when we have obtained the information._

_Smart, formal dress code will be maintained throughout the ceremony. You are also invited to attend the celebration dinner on the same night, in the dining hall of Repherion. As is customary, you may choose to bring two others to accompany you throughout both events._

_I hope that no misfortune will come your way, that will prevent you from attending such an auspicious time. Will wait for your reply with much enthusiasm. And this, Vineis, is particularly expressed by Valkron himself._

_Yours sincerely,_

_(Signed) Emeth_

_Second-in-Command, The Raulus_

Vineis was only aware of Alya coming into the room as well, but he was staring at the piece of paper in his hand. No amount of removing his monocle and wiping it would change the words in any way. He stared for a long time.

"Is he all right, Lucius?" asked Alya worriedly, leaning towards the assassin. "He seems...preoccupied."

"I think we will know soon enough, Madam Alya," answered Lucius, who was also looking anxious.

Vineis's eyes were so wide they could see the whites all round. Then, much to their astonishment, he threw back his head and laughed.

"An invitation to three weddings?" he mused. "And Emeth has written this personally! There is no other signature in this world that looks like a loopy dustball..."

"What?" asked Alya, not believing her ears.

"We have been invited to three weddings, Alya," said the wizard. "I believe Valkron should have already sent you an invitation as well. Have you returned to Nuernberg yet?"

"Well...no, on account of having just returned from Prontera," she replied. "But I will go back and see."

Vineis got to his feet. "I'll come with you. Lucius, Gondul is under your care while I am absent."

"Yes, sir." The assassin inclined his head briefly, before watching them go. Once they had gone, he went out of the office, shut the door and locked it.

_Where is that damned rogue?_ he thought.

* * *

Emeth drummed his fingers on the table. "Samaroh is taking a damn long time to tell us everything."

"Well, he's busy darting all over the kingdom searching for a place to hold our weddings in," Iruna pointed out. "He's coming back exhausted these days."

"I would sympathise with him if he didn't grin like that whenever he comes back," said the wizard grumpily. "His smile's like the one Valkron has when that old geezer has something up his sleeve."

"For the last time, Emeth, stop calling him an old geezer. It really sounds like a crime when you say it."

"What, because it's true? Oh, come on, Iruna. You know I like calling him that for fun. We're all middle-aged, Iruna. We're not old."

The crusader huffed, but said nothing more.

"And as for using the word 'lover', you're making it sound like both of you are having an affair!" Emeth snorted with laughter. "Look, times have changed. We're all engaged. I believe the correct term is 'fiancé' and 'fiancée'."

"You know, teasing Iruna comes with a hazard," said Valkron who had been listening to their conversation from the far side of the room.

"What hazard?"

"She's capable of beating up someone who insults her. Doesn't matter who it is, man or woman."

"She's a sweet woman, Valkron." Emeth pulled out a fresh piece pf parchment and dipped the nib of his quill into the small saucer filled with golden ink. "She doesn't thrash people without a reason. Sometimes her independence is what makes her so memorable." He smiled dazzlingly at Iruna.

"Quite the sweet-mouth, are you?" she said, but she looked mollified by his words.

"He's a ladies' man, Iruna," Valkron reminded her.

"Ex_cuse_ me--"

"Just write the rest of the invitations."

Emeth shook his head and resumed writing.

* * *

Adiemus enjoyed sitting in the gardens of Scarlet Palace and observing the calm surface of the lake. He was usually accompanied by a thin blue wisp of smoke rising from the bowl of his clay pipe. The cinders within glowed momentarily as he pulled on it, and blew out a stream of smoke in complete tranquillity.

"Hey! Hey, Adiemus!"

The old crusader looked up and took his pipe out his mouth so that he could speak. "Yes, Raven?"

The rogue leapt over the shrubs in his path in his eagerness to reach Adiemus. He was waving about a small square of red in one hand. "Look at what came in from the Raulus!"

Adiemus leaned back in his chair, as the rogue reached him. "Read it out."

Raven pulled out the paper from within the envelope and unfolded it.

"_Greetings, Adiemus and Raven. I am pleased to have this honour of inviting both of you as guild leaders to represent your guilds in an exchange of vows between three couples. As of now we have not decided on the venue or the day, but I promise that I will inform you as soon as possible when we have obtained the information._

_Smart, formal dress code will be maintained throughout the ceremony. You are also invited to attend the celebration dinner on the same night, in the dining hall of Repherion. Although you are both mentioned in this invitation, you may treat this as two separate invitations for both of you, so you can have two others accompany you throughout both events - each._

_I hope that you will find time in your busy schedules to fit these very auspicious events in. Will wait for your reply with much enthusiasm. Valkron sends his regards._

_Yours sincerely,_

_(Signed) Emeth_

_Second-in-Command, The Raulus._"

"_What?_" Adiemus put on the pair of glasses that had been hanging around his neck. "Let me see that."

He read it for himself, while the rogue stood next to him with a big smile on his face. When Adiemus had finished, he looked up at Raven.

"Three weddings?" he asked incredulously. "This is unbelievable! Who is getting married?"

"Well, I have a feeling Emeth has been instructed not to say in his invitations," said the rogue. "I've asked the leaders of the Legionnaires and the Guardians of Geffen, and they say they've not been informed, either."

"Selva?"

"Same thing."

Adiemus took off his glasses. "Well, we can't say no, can we? I'll get one of the clerks to draft a reply. I'm surprised - three weddings to plan for. I really praise the person who's organising the lot."

* * *

When Emeth came back in from checking the mail, Samaroh was in the room and completely flat on the table. Kushana was fanning him with a book.

"Hey, you okay?" asked the wizard worriedly.

Samaroh grunted.

"He's fine, just tired to death." Kushana motioned for him to sit. "He'll be up in a few minutes, believe me. Wow, that's a lot of mail you've got in your hands."

"The War of Emperium isn't going on as usual," said Emeth, grinning. "All the guild leaders are saving their energy for the big day. The Guild Liaison Office is going bonkers over this, but who cares? These," he emptied his armload on the table, "are the replies from all the guild leaders we've sent invites to. From the looks of it, no one's refusing to go."

"Argh," said Samaroh. The two of them gave the prostrate priest a look.

"So that's how many people?" asked Kushana.

"Counting replies from the past week, I'd say about close to six hundred people pouring in."

There was a very heavy grunt from Samaroh. The tow of them watched him grab the edge of the table and heave himself upright with a great effort.

"Ah, finally unstuck myself from the table," he said.

"Samaroh, your hair's a mess," remarked Kushana.

"I don't care, I'm taking a shower and going to bed shortly. But before that, can I have Valkron, Iruna, Eni and Aramithar in here? Both of you, too."

Kushana went to get them, while Emeth sifted through the pile of envelopes. Samaroh watched him in a half-daze.

"You sure you've got space for these people?" Emeth asked the priest.

"Yup."

"Sure?"

"Mm."

"That's a lot of people, though."

"I kept that in mind, Emeth."

Kushana returned with the other four. When Valkron saw that it was just the seven of them, he quickly shut the door behind him and motioned Emeth to block it.

"The day I've picked is next month, on the second Day of the Earth. We'll be having everything in that whole day. I've asked the Guild Liaison Office to allow the War of Emperium to be cancelled on that day, and they've done so - a bit grudgingly, I might add. Then there's the venue--"

"We're having three weddings on one day?" asked Eni.

Samaroh held up his hand. "I haven't finished yet. I went and checked with the Prontera Church, but they don't have a hall large enough for everyone. I had a peek at St. Capitolina Abbey, but it was far too...far. And remote. I tried the Monastery of the Mists--"

"You're kidding us, right?" asked Valkron.

"--but they weren't too happy, and their halls weren't ideal either," continued the priest, ignoring Valkron. "I couldn't think of a good place to hold the service, so I went and had a little time checking out the places in the Schwartzwald Republic."

"And?" asked Emeth.

Samaroh took a deep breath and smiled. "The Junoan Church is willing to let us have the Hall of the Silver Rose."

Iruna's voice rose above the sudden outbreak of muttering. "They're lending the _Hall of the Silver Rose_? That place is usually for induction ceremonies! And that's not even in the Junoan Church - that's in St. Euphemia's Cathedral!"

"Because the famous Window of the Cross is there, right? But that's the hall that's large enough, and they picked it too."

"Did you tell them I was going to get married?" Iruna asked shrewdly.

"Yes." Samaroh grinned.

"So we're having three weddings on the same day?" asked Valkron and Eni at the same time.

"Well...no, not exactly." Samaroh coughed. "I'm going to take a shower, and then go to bed. Details tomorrow."

He departed with a few sounds of disappointment and annoyance behind him, but returned shortly - and with his promise kept. Without the aid of the waxwort, his fair hair fell straight down to his shoulders and he looked less like a priest and more like a hermit.

"Samaroh," Iruna said, as people gazed at him, "_how_ exactly did you get into St. Euphemia's Cathedral?"

"Because I am a priest, and I am nice. Sorry," he added hastily, seeing her expression. "Actually, I explained the whole situation, and about you, and since they understood that it would be a grand day, they picked the cathedral. I went to have a look to see if there were any halls available that had a large enough capacity, and the Hall of the Silver Rose was available. So I reserved it. Quick and simple."

Valkron leaned back in his seat. "So how have you arranged things?"

Samaroh smiled. "You wait and see."

When he had left, Emeth leaned over to Valkron and said, "You've got a serious contender for the person to be the most suspicious at keeping things from others."

"Shut up, Emeth."

* * *

Samaroh, however, was very unlike Valkron in that he released little bits of information as he finalised the preparations.

"Adiemus?" asked Raven, during a short visit to Repherion one day.

"Hm?"

"Don't you think that all of them are becoming just like Valkron?"

"In what way?" Adiemus was smiling; Valkron, who was nearby, was giving the two men his well-known look of irritation.

"In that they are getting pretty good at hiding secrets."

"I completely agree with you, Raven."

Valkron massaged his forehead. "I don't even know why you come here these days."

"We want to know how everything's going to turn out," said Raven calmly. "We can't just deduce what's going to happen from the invitations you send. Besides, they seem...tentative."

"That's Samaroh's work, not ours. It's usually his idea. Now that he's seen everyone accept the invitations the way they are, he's about to send out the real invitations. Just be patient."

"But you already know what's going to happen. That isn't actually fair." Raven looked annoyed. "All of you know."

"It wouldn't be fair for us if you knew what was going to happen." Valkron grinned. "When Samaroh revealed everything to us, we had a big shock. We feel it should only be fair you experience the same thing - with everyone else."

"I don't know what's with you and your secrecy over such matters..." muttered the rogue.

There was a knock at the door. Valkron turned to face it. "Come in."

The door opened to reveal Emeth. He looked in. "Valkron, you busy?"

"No, why?"

"Sagna's here to see you."

Valkron raised his eyebrows. "Must be about the thing he wanted to talk to me about. See both of you later."

"What? More secrecy? This is crazy!"

Valkron ignored the outraged Raven and emerged from the room. The brown-haired knight was gazing around him. Many of the members of the Raulus were running around preparing the castle for the dinner that was going to take place after the wedding. Most of these places in the castle were now out of bounds to outsiders - even the members of the allied guilds.

When Sagna noticed his old tutor was patiently waiting, he hastily stood to attention. "Sorry, sir. I was just--"

"Yeah, yeah, keep the apologies to yourself." Valkron sighed when he saw Sagna's expression. "I'm used to seeing people watch our members run around doing errands. No need to be polite. What is it?"

"Uhh..." Although he was clearly mystified by his old tutor's sudden lack of demand of courteousness, Sagna was not the one to forget his true purpose. "We've chosen a time to talk to you. I hope you don't mind if we ask you about your personal life."

"Anything about my life before the Battle of Al'Zahur-- no, before the events of the Dark Portal is a major no."

"How should we know what to ask?"

"If I keep silent about something, you'll know you're very close to crossing the line."

Sagna swallowed uneasily. "Sir, you do know I'd like you to preserve the lives of the people of the Information Department."

Valkron put his arm around the young knight's shoulders. "Sagna, I trust you and your helpers to know when you're going too far. Even if you do, just keep in mind I won't do anything to you, all right?"

"Really?"

"You have my word as a knight of the Chivalry."

Sagna gave Valkron a look. "I've never really trusted you whenever you say that, because you're a mercenary, too. That's what you've said to others."

"Oh? Inigo spread that around? Fine." Valkron took hold of both of Sagna's shoulders and looked into the young knight's eyes. "You have my word as a knight of the Chivalry, and may Thor strike me down with white fire from Asgard if I even think of betraying my word."

His ex-student looked taken aback. "Isn't that a bit old?"

"Old sayings never hurt to be said." Valkron clapped him on the back. "Other than that once condition, you're free to ask me whatever you like."

"Thanks, sir."

"No need to mention it."

They watched the bustle of the crowd around the main hallway of Repherion in silence. The doors of the castle had been left open to allow proper ventilation; their hair moved in the breeze that entered the hallway.

"Sir?"

"Hm?"

"Have you ever experienced this sort of bustle that seems to be part of the peace in this world?"

Valkron thought over this for some time, rubbing the tip of his nose as he thought. Then he said, "For one thing, I don't ever remember being part of such a time...except for the rare occasion of being in the Chivalry."

"What? Why?"

Valkron looked at Sagna. "You didn't know? After they made me stop teaching you? I left the Chivalry to travel."

"Whatever for, sir? You've always been everywhere. You know everything about the other cities."

"True. But I've always wanted to know more."

Sagna looked puzzled. "You didn't go home?"

"Not for a long time, no. If I did, I only came back to check on what was going on, by staying in Prontera for a couple of nights."

"Why didn't you stay?"

Valkron sighed. "You can put this in your article, if you want to. I didn't feel I was needed."

* * *

And then it was time.

"So...are we best men and bridegrooms ready for the day?" Emeth asked the men standing in one of the small chambers of St. Euphemia's Cathedral.

He had addressed Khan, Amaru, Aramithar and Valkron. According to the alchemist, the missing best man - his brother - was arriving in a few hours. They had been amazed that someone who worked and lived in the Far Lands had come this far to attend his brother's wedding, but Aramithar had informed them that he was a wealthy merchant who had seen better profits elsewhere, and could afford to return anytime.

"Depends on what your idea of 'ready' is," answered the knight, adjusting his cuffs in the full-length mirror Iruna had kindly lent them.

"Ready being prepared to face the big crowd, the exchange of vows, the final decision to commit yourself to a life of living with the partner you selected, and being able to face the wonderful relatives afterwards," said Emeth, smoothing down his hair.

Aramithar broke the silence. "Eheh...maybe I'd say no to the last one," he said, scratching the back of his golden head.

"What's wrong with the relatives?" asked Khan.

"I come from a big family, and I usually go and see them every New Year. I don't usually look forward to the visits."

"But you didn't go this year."

"The guild wars didn't allow me to." Aramithar smiled.

"You should have said earlier," said Valkron, pausing in his final adjustments.

"I never wanted to."

They looked at him in surprise. The alchemist was still smiling. Valkron wondered if Aramithar had ever been angry or sad. His face looked like Selvatinius' - pleasant, peaceful and always smiling.

"It was a family tradition, as long as our descendants did not have a second family. As far as I know, the event is held annually."

What do you mean, second family?" asked Emeth. "You mean...if someone's started a family elsewhere, he or she doesn't have to go home?"

Aramithar shook his head. "Families of blood are considered the same family. By second family, it means an external family - a family not related by blood."

"Are you saying that by joining the Raulus you couldn't return home?" asked Khan, one eyebrow raised.

The alchemist nodded. "But I've never wanted to return home. I've not been visiting our family home since the guild war began."

"Because you were with another guild before you joined us," said Valkron. "But you never--"

"The guild I joined - and left - before you was the Black Cross."

Valkron felt a shock run through his nerves. Aramithar's smiling face gave nothing away, and yet...

The door slammed open; everyone jumped and turned around. Samaroh was standing in the doorway.

"What are you all doing? You don't keep a priest waiting, you know." He jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "Let's go."

"Eh? I thought you'd be calling us out one by one," said Emeth.

"This is the bit I didn't tell you about, sorry. Anyway, _all_ of you have to go. Now."

Mystified and very baffled by now, they followed the priest out into a slightly larger chamber. Here, he turned to them and smiled.

"Wait here," he said, his voice suddenly light and full of cheerfulness. "We have to wait for the ladies, too."

Most people would have assumed that Samaroh was trying to comfort them, or pretending to hide his own emotions. However, Valkron later discovered his true feelings - as well as something he did not expect to see in the Hall of the Silver Rose.

* * *

Inspired by watching Heroic Age. The anime's not related to this in any way.

Recently, I was somewhat bad tempered and accidentally brought my anger on a friend. One of the characters here represents his persona, but I couldn't do anything to show my regret. Therefore, I introduced St. Euphemia's Cathedral.

St. Euphemia is a real saint, killed for her beliefs. A basilica has been constructed in Croatia to hold her remains. However, the Euphemia I was referring to is the main RP character of said friend. I won't go into detail about her.

In brief, I want this to be an actual tribute to him. It is not an apology - it is just respect and gratefulness. Besides, he inspired a few ideas in this fic.

That aside, the waxwort idea comes from an actual doctrine that appears to assume that if any plant works or looks as such, it is therefore considered as a remedy or cure.

Valkron's 'barber' comes from the Medieval Ages, where those who cut hair also offer 'bleeding' services, on the belief that sickness can be cured by 'bleeding' the bad blood out of a person.


	62. Cherry Blossoms

Chapter 62  
**Cherry Blossoms**

When they saw Samaroh again, he was wearing robes of the same colour scheme as a normal priest's uniform. However, they were embroidered with gold thread, and much more elaborate than any other clothes they had ever seen.

"I wonder why you actually bothered to do the service for us, Samaroh," said Emeth, watching him smooth the creases out of his robes.

"Because this is a once-in-a-lifetime thing," he replied. "Every priest and priestess will want to perform a service in a marriage for a guild. The pay has completely nothing to do with it - it's the memory of being there and seeing two complete strangers promise to be together for the rest of their lives."

"What if they decide to separate?"

Samaroh's voice softened, but he said coldly, "It is not our business any more if they decide to."

Valkron watched him walk to the door. He opened it, and nearly walked straight into a dark-tanned man wearing a suit.

"Oh, I apologise!" exclaimed the man. "I have come late, and now--"

"You're actually quite early. The brides are not out yet." Samaroh gave him a brief nod before leaving the chamber.

The man watched him go. "Is he always cold?"

"He's probably upset," said Valkron. "Who...?"

"He's the brother I spoke of," said Aramithar. "Long time no see, Federion."

"Same to you." The merchant straightened the lily in his buttonhole. "It took you long enough to get married."

"I always told you I'd find the right person. There was no need for those useless arranged marriages." Aramithar clapped him on the back.

Federion looked around him, at the other men. "And these are our companions? This is going to be one big ceremony. I don't even remember seeing this place, and I've visited Juno more than I can remember."

"A bit forgetful, eh?" whispered Emeth to Valkron.

Aramithar simply laughed. "Let's just stand here until we are needed."

Although the two brothers stayed together after that, the others stayed a small distance away from them. No one talked for a long time - Valkron decided he had nothing to say, and he was also getting fairly nervous. He also decided that there was nothing to think about, for now. This had to come first--

Samaroh poked his head around the door. "The guests are all seated. Everything's ready."

"So who's going?" asked Khan, from the corner. He was standing with Amaru.

"All of you." The priest jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "I've already warned you beforehand about this. Come on, don't keep your future wives waiting."

Everyone exchanged looks before Valkron stepped forward calmly. He went to where Samaroh was standing, followed closely by Khan. After him came Emeth and Amaru, and finally Aramithar and Federion.

"What's your name again - Feather?" the priest asked Aramithar's brother bluntly.

The merchant laughed. "I stand amazed - everyone can remember my brother's name, but not mine. I am Federion."

"Ah, thank you." Samaroh turned abruptly and walked out. Valkron raised an eyebrow at this, but said nothing; glancing at the wizard, he could see a similar expression on Emeth's face.

They followed Samaroh out of the chamber, through a long passageway. It was lined with fifteen-foot marble pillars. Golden rays of light from the morning sun filtered through the stained glass windows and illuminated their path through the beautifully smooth corridor. The seven of them walked towards the elaborate archway at the end, silent silhouettes of black and white walking through a path of heaven.

The archway beyond was filled with light. Valkron could see nothing beyond it. Suddenly the corridor stretched so far into the distance the light was nothing but a speck in the distance. He felt panic rise, but the overwhelming urge to see this over with and together with Iruna kept him calm and peaceful.

Their footsteps echoed sharply in the corridor as their smart black shoes tapped on the marble. There was no other sound - there was nothing to say to each other, and nothing to be said on the pathway to one of the biggest days of their lives.

* * *

When they reached the end of the corridor, the men stood and gazed in awe. No one spoke at first; there was far too much to see for the moment.

The Hall of the Silver Rose was so called because the great marble floor, mostly beige in colour, had a vast inlay right in the centre. This inlay was of silver mother-of-pearl, and arranged to depict a rose. Even the mortar between the tiles had been silvered. The Silver Rose was said to symbolise purity of the heart, and therefore no one was allowed to place anything on it, let alone walk across the rose. It was between the audience and the raised platform before the altar.

At one end of the great hall, facing east so that the sun's rays would fall through it when dawn broke every day, was the ironwrought Window of the Cross. At forty feet it was one of the largest windows known. The glass was clear, to symbolise the strong faith and belief in the massive cross that had been wrought into the glass. Qualified crusaders were inducted in the early morning, in order to let the pure light fall on them as they received their blessings from the High Commander. It was said that the clouds never blocked the sun from the window, not even during a thunderstorm.

At the other end of the hall was a pair of bronze doors. On each leaf of the door half a sword had been engraved, so that when the doors were closed people would see a full sword, blade upright, guarding the doors. If that wasn't enough, two stone statues of valkyries flanked them, holding spears. Their stone wings were spread open, and formed an arch through which people passed when entering the cathedral.

And in between, the breathtaking architecture of the Schwartzwald Republic was fully displayed. Elaborate cornices were vaguely seen holding up the long ceiling of the cathedral, along with thick pillars. Whoever had designed the building had taken great pains to artfully place silver twinings around the hall. It was no wonder that the cathedral had taken two hundred and fifty years to build.

Valkron looked at Samaroh. The priest, with his beautiful robes, suddenly seemed as if he belonged to the Hall of the Silver Rose. Samaroh noticed the knight looking at him and smiled. He pointed upwards.

The knight looked up.

Valkron swore that he had the biggest shock of his life. He had heard of the Hall of the Silver Rose, most of it from Iruna during the days leading up to the wedding. She had spoken of the Window of the Cross, the Silver Rose, the valkyrie guardians - but she had not mentioned _this_.

Across the ceiling, a ferocious mix of red, orange and gold against the pale beige of the marble and painted onto a stone disc set into the marble, was a magnificent, victorious, powerful _phoenix_.

There was a small gasp from near him. He looked up to see Emeth with an expression that looked exactly how he felt, gazing up at the masterpiece with his mouth open. He couldn't blame the wizard.

But how had Iruna not mentioned it? The phoenix was so vast it nearly covered the whole ceiling, save for the part above the altar. In the rays of the morning sun it shone proudly above everyone's heads, soaring with its stubborn, outstretched wings towards the Window of the Cross.

_As if it is flying into the sun_, said a voice in Valkron's head.

The knight felt numb. It was as if something had clicked into place in his head upon seeing the phoenix. He had known a lot of things for a long time without understanding them all, and now they had become clear to him.

_The song. The emblem. This place. The wedding. Our guild. They're all connected._

_Why?_

"Psst."

Valkron came to his senses, realising that Emeth had surreptitiously nudged him. He automatically looked at Samaroh, who nodded briefly at him. It was time.

They made their way to the great doors. The audience did not see them - after all, the ceremony could not officially start without the first bars of the melody that was the prelude.

"Who's on the organ?" asked Khan, before anyone could say anything else, when they were standing behind the crowd and safely in everyone's blind spot.

"Kumahar," replied Samaroh. "He knows how to play practically every musical instrument in the world, and I swear on that."

"Samaroh, what...Iruna didn't mention that phoenix," said Valkron.

"I know, that's why I pointed it out to you. The Hall of the Silver Rose actually doesn't have such a high ceiling - during any normal day or any induction ceremony, the real ceiling is concealed by a fake one. Because this is such a big day, they decided to pull back the fake one and display the phoenix."

"How do they pull back a ceiling?" asked Emeth, in an intrigued tone.

"I'm not too sure, but they use some sort of mechanism powered by hydraulics. Not many people know such a thing exists in this cathedral, but there you go."

"And why are we standing out of everyone's sight?" asked Federion.

"Because Kumahar hasn't started playing yet. If he hasn't started yet, someone's not ready. Don't ask me who. Could be one of the brides having second thoughts."

"Iruna is _not_ having second thoughts," said Valkron firmly. "We've decided on everything, and talked over what needed addressing. Our decision is final."

"I doubt Kushana would have doubts," said Emeth quietly. "She's headstrong and ambitious. I probably can't stop her. A _mountain_ probably couldn't stop her."

"Eni had second thoughts before, but she's already made up her mind. She's told me she's not going to look back."

"Hey, hey, calm down," said the priest, holding his hands up as if to shield himself from the barrage of indignant statements. "I said _could_, not is. We don't know. Oops, got to go - Kumahar's signalling me up front. Stay here until the second bar of the tune plays."

"Wait, what's the second bar--" began Emeth, but Samaroh was already gone.

"I don't know how to explain it to you, so just follow me," said Valkron, seeing his friend's face.

"You know music?"

"I appreciate it. Now let's wait."

They waited for some time. Although people were still arriving, no one noticed the six men because they were hidden behind a row of tall candelabras fully loaded with candles and alight. Valkron resisted the urge to catch Adiemus' attention when the crusader and the rogue entered.

By the time the sun was visible in the Window of the Cross the hall - and the seats - were filled. Samaroh returned, but briefly - all he said to them was, "Get ready."

It was Valkron who noticed the ornately dressed priest ascend the podium. He was smiling, and he did not stop as he opened the large book he was carrying and looked up at the audience. The noise died down; the six men in the shadows of the candelabra watched alertly.

The first bars from the organ made them jump. The pitch of the organ was just right; its deep throated groan became pure music that graced the hall. Valkron caught a glimpse of Kumahar; the fair-haired bard was playing so smoothly his long fingers seemed to be sliding across the keys effortlessly.

Valkron remembered himself in time and stepped out of the shadows as the second bar began. Immediately all eyes turned on him. He dared not look at the crowd. Instead, he straightened up, took a deep breath, and set off along the red carpet that had been laid between the two halves the audience had been divided into.

He did not look back, but he knew Emeth and Aramithar were following closely behind. After them came Amaru, Khan and Federion. The carpet was so thick it silenced their footsteps as they walked through the audience.

When they reached the frontal seats, Valkron walked towards the right, walking along the border of the circle that enclosed the vast silver rose. Emeth and Aramithar followed him, but Amaru, Khan and Federion had to walk around the left. Samaroh had gone through this with them and made sure they knew the procedure off by heart.

Right after that, the bridegrooms stepped onto the podium and headed to the left, while the best men got onto the podium behind them and positioned themselves so that they were flanking their corresponding bridegroom.

And then they were there. Valkron had never seen such a large crowd in his life, not even at knighting ceremonies. It consisted of guild members and nobility, as well as the King's officers. He spotted Seyren somewhere in the crowd, and a few of the rich, before he nearly laughed at seeing the entire Apocalypse Ultima sitting on one side of the hall, and the entire Black Cross on the other. For a crowd of six hundred people, more than half of which were involved in sensitive politics, Samaroh had arranged them well.

As his eyes travelled across the hall, he saw Raven give him a thumbs up. The Defenders of Prontera and the Exodus Faction had opted not to come - for some reason, Vineis had brought his guild with him, and so had Selvatinius. The Raulus was out of the question - the wedding involved their own members, and so they had to attend.

On the Raulus' side, he could see all the guild members watching him intently. Strangely enough he did not feel as if he was being stared at - it was more of a gaze of pride, respect and awe. He felt honoured to stand at such a place.

Kumahar was still playing, but it was not the melody that would start off the service. The melody was just a background filler, soon accompanied by low whispering as the the audience resumed their conversations.

Valkron took a glance around the hall again. Much to his chagrin he could see Zak giving him a thumbs up. Emeth was blocking his nose with his hand to prevent the knight from hearing him snigger, but Valkron could see it all the same. Slightly annoyed, he turned back just in time to see Silas yank Zak's arms down and put a finger to his lips when the rogue turned to admonish him.

For now, there was nothing to do. Valkron stood casually and waited. Emeth had his hands in his pockets, but because his hair was not unruly he looked more of a stylish gentleman than the wizard Valkron knew. Aramithar was smiling around a section of the crowd, occasionally nodding; Valkron found out later on that his entire family from Al de Baran had come to attend.

The music in the background faded away. Aware of this, Valkron kept an eye on Kumahar, who was discussing with Nalini. The other women from the senior circle had volunteered to prepare the three brides.

Nalini eventually hurried off. Kumahar placed his fingers on the keys of the organ, took a deep breath, and played the opening bars.

* * *

Raven nudged Adiemus. "Hey, why are all of them standing on the podium?"

"Why are you asking me, Raven? I don't know. Unless..." Adiemus' voice trailed away.

The rogue looked at him. "What?"

The opening bars from the organ flooded the hall. Everyone fell silent. On the podium, the three bridegrooms were standing to attention even though they were still maintaining their casual poses.

Heads turned; Adiemus and Raven followed suit. There was a collective gasp of awe as, dressed in a stunning pale cream gown that fell around her shoulders without its puffed sleeves, holding a bouquet of lilies and her face veiled, Iruna swept magnificently up the aisle. The little girl following behind her was none other than Niki-Haru, dressed in a light blue frock and daintily scattering petals on the red carpet.

Everyone gasped again when Kushana passed, dressed in a pure white gown and holding a bouquet of pink rhododendrons. She was also veiled. Iruna had radiated an aura of authority when she had passed; Kushana brought with her the radiance of confidence and joy. She had made a tiny adjustment to the standard gown - a large satin sash tied around her waist, the ends tied into a ribbon behind her. Kala followed closely behind, positively bubbling over with excitement as she scattered petals along.

Finally there was a sigh of adoration as Eni rustled past. The alchemist, usually covered in potion stains and coloured powder, was wearing a light pink gown and holding a bouquet of marigolds. Her waist-length ponytail shone under her veil as her large violet eyes glittered with excitement. She, too, had made an adjustment to her gown - it fitted around her chest, unlike the other two where the collar had just rested around the shoulders. Nalini followed her behind, bringing with her even more petals and the fragrance of spring.

Adiemus looked at Raven, and then nudged him. "Hey."

"What?" Raven was still staring after the three women.

"I think you've stopped breathing."

"No, I haven't!" The rogue gave Adiemus an irritated look and turned to the front. The crusader was laughing through his nose in an attempt to control himself.

The three women had walked around the great rose and were now stepping onto the podium. Adiemus was sure Valkron, Emeth and Aramithar could not take their eyes off them - the three men were still staring long after the brides had bowed their heads.

"Eh?"

"What is it now, Raven?"

"They're not taking turns?"

Samaroh had opened his large book. He was smiling broadly at the three couples, who had now turned to face him properly.

"I knew it," whispered Adiemus.

"What?"

"They're doing it _at the same time_."

In the hush of the cathedral, Samaroh's voice sounded bright and clear. "We have gathered here today," he announced, "to witness the exchange of vows between Valkron and Iruna, Emeth and Kushana, and Aramithar and Eni, all of whom belong to the Raulus."

Adiemus watched. He did not pay attention to what Samaroh said - he had already been through it once, and knew the words off by heart. Although wedding ceremonies brought back old memories for him, he did not want to miss this one.

_I've never imagined Valkron getting married_, he thought, smiling amusedly to himself. _The knight who travelled the kingdom alone for ten years and tested his strength by soloing almost every monster known to Rune-Midgard. The knight who can speak the ten languages of the kingdom - and let's not count in the languages of the Schwartzwald Republic and Old Runic._

_I feel...proud. Like seeing a son getting wed. The son I've never had._

"Valkron, will you take Iruna as your lawfully wedded wife?" Samaroh asked the knight.

Raven leaned towards Adiemus. "This is going to be a long service."

"Better than a short one," replied the crusader.

"Yes, I do," said Valkron. His voice, firm and steady, echoed throughout the hall.

"Iruna, do you take Valkron as your lawfully wedded husband?"

Adiemus leaned towards Raven. "You know, on second thoughts...I agree with you."

Iruna smiled. "Yes, I do."

Samaroh turned. "Emeth, do you take Kushana as your lawfully wedded wife?"

"How much are they paying him for this?" Raven asked Adiemus. The crusader nearly laughed out loud.

"Yes, I do," replied the wizard.

"Kushana, do you take Emeth as your lawfully wedded husband?"

"Yes, I do."

"I think Samaroh _wants_ to go through the whole process," Adiemus said to Raven in a low voice. "I've never seen him so contented. If it were possible, I'd say he's radiating bliss like rays of light."

"That, or because the sun's behind him at this angle," Raven remarked casually.

"Aramithar, do you take Eni as your lawfully wedded wife?"

"Yes, I do."

"Eni, do you take Aramithar as your lawfully wedded husband?"

"Yes, I do."

Samaroh cleared his throat a little. "Then let the exchange of rings take place."

Every face in the hall was all smiles as the three couples turned to each other. The ringbearers were three young boys, one of which was Kyo. They hurried forward with the rich purple velvet cushions in their hands. Even from the back of the cathedral the sparkle of the rings, each different to suit the couple, could be seen.

There was a small pause. Adiemus noticed that the people in the front were actually leaning forward to watch as the men slipped the rings onto the brides' left ring fingers, and vice versa. The three boys hurried off to join the row of best men and bridesmaids that had formed behind Samaroh, all watching with beaming faces.

"With this exchange of the rings, may you be one. May you be bound together for the rest of your lives, through thick and thin. May you be blessed by the valkyries so that your union will be complete, peaceful and as long as you live, till death do you part." Samaroh shut his book with a thump and smiled at the couples, who were watching him. "You may kiss your bride."

The entire cathedral held its breath. Valkron, Emeth and Aramithar lifted the veils of their respective brides, gazing into the women's eyes as if to savour the moment. Then, as if on cue, they leaned forward, and their lips touched.

At that point someone in the crowd whooped. The silence, the suspense, the tension, was broken. Every member of the audience got to their feet and cheered; hats were thrown into the air and people began applaud. Birds took flight from the roof outside in fright, but no one cared.

This was the moment hundreds of people had waited to see for several weeks.

The three couples broke apart. There was a pause as they gazed into each other's eyes in affection, before they appeared to realise that this was it - _this was the day_.

And then, unexpectedly, Valkron clasped Iruna's wrist and laughed.

People cheered even louder as the two of them got off the podium and ran out, both laughing, Iruna holding up her skirts. Emeth abruptly bent down and swept Kushana off her feet into his arms; her shriek of delight made several people laugh appreciatively. They too followed Valkron and Iruna.

Aramithar had a different idea. He knelt down and let Eni climb onto his back, before hoisting her up. Laughing, they went past the audience as a roar of laughter and delight went up. They joined the other two couples outside the doors.

By now the audience was streaming out of the cathedral after them. The first thing that greeted their eyes were three great pecos, larger than the Chivalry ones. Shen was holding the reins of one; Adonis held the reins of the other two. The birds honked joyfully and pawed the ground, impatient to go.

Before they mounted the pecos, Iruna, Kushana and Eni turned to the crowd behind them. They waved their bouquets at the people before turning their backs and flinging the three bouquets into the air.

When they had turned around, the crowd had already isolated the lucky ones. Adiemus and Raven roared with laughter at Selvatinius, who had somehow had a bouquet fall into his hands and was now looking somewhat embarrassed. Another was Amaru himself, with Khan laughing so hard he had to use his best friend's shoulder to support himself. The last one had bounced into Kala and Nalini's hands.

The amount of laughter going up attracted passers-by, and now the fun was spreading. The three couples waved to the audience before mounting the pecos - the bridegrooms helping their new wives up onto the birds' broad backs - and setting off towards the gates. The Kafra had been hired for the day, and now she raised her hands, ready to cast her warp.

Raven sighed wistfully as the pecos disappeared into the whirling light. "I'm too old for this, really. It's a bit sad you didn't have such a good marriage, Adiemus. This is a day worth remembering."

"You know, after watching them I don't actually mind," replied the crusader. "Seeing their faces is enough for me. Even though no one knows what's going to happen in the future, right here, right now...we are here and alive."

How right he was.

* * *

As planned, the three pecos returned to Repherion at three in the afternoon. The members of the Raulus greeted them as the men helped the women down.

"We've done everything, and we're prepared," said Khan, watching Emeth help Kushana get off. "It all needs is all of you and the guests."

"Well, it's a good idea to come home early," said Valkron. "Who knows how much time these women need to refresh themselves?"

"Be thankful you're not a woman, then," Iruna huffed at him. "Come on, we all need a shower. Badly."

"How was your ride through Prontera?" asked Shen, as he took the reins of a nearby peco.

"It was all right," said Valkron.

"Oh, wonderful. People kept stopping us and asking where we got married, and children followed us with their own cheers." Iruna sighed contentedly. "And ignore him, he's always like that."

"Each to his own," said Adonis, who was taking the reins of another peco.

"You missed a certain pronoun there." Shen grinned at Adonis. "Anyway, we'll take these back and join you shortly. We still have to put up some decorations."

"That reminds me." Valkron turned to Emeth. "You'd better take a shower and change really quickly, because you'll need to do a lot of magic."

"I know, I know, I'm already going."

When they got to the last floor of Repherion, someone had already put up large signs as to which rooms were now vacant. Valkron and Iruna had agreed to take the large room with windows that faced the east, partially because both of them preferred waking up to dawn if they were early, and being shocked awake by sunlight if they weren't.

"Finally, Valkron!" Iruna exclaimed. "You won't have to be cranky at me just because I'm in the same bed as you! Isn't that amazing?"

Valkron gave her an amused look. "If you want to think that way."

Iruna threw her arms around his neck and hugged him so tightly that for a moment all the air was squeezed out of him. Then she relaxed. He put his own arms around her and nuzzled her hair.

"We're together, Valkron," she whispered. "At last. After so long, and after so much."

He realised she was crying into his chest, but it was sobs of happiness that shook her body. He caressed the back of her head, smiling gently. There was nothing he wanted to say - maybe there was nothing that needed to be said.

After a while he said, "Iruna, are you still crying?"

"Yes," she said, half-muffled by the lapels of his jacket.

"You can stop now. I know you're really happy, but we've got a dinner to attend. Besides," he looked down into her tear-filled eyes, "I'm sure you wouldn't want me to walk into the hall with a tear-stained suit."

Iruna laughed and wiped her eyes. "I'm sorry. It's just - I felt like I was bursting with joy. I can't believe we're married!"

"I can't, either." Valkron laughed.

* * *

Guests came filtering in at seven. Some of them had been paid to be early, so that guests who were early by default wouldn't be embarrassed. When they stepped into the main hall, they were greeted by golden sparkles falling gently from the ceiling, along with a refreshing fragrance of cinnamon and cherry blossoms. The halls and the corridors gleamed after years of grime had been diligently scrubbed off, mostly with the help of the wizards of the Geffen Magic Academy.

Along the corridors that led to the dining hall, large banners with the Raulus phoenix emblazoned on them hung from the ceiling. The place was brightly lit. Every window in the castle had a lit candle placed in front of it, whether existential or not; the agit shone out like a beacon in the gathering night. What looked like silver plants twined themselves around the pillars and sprouted large jewels that looked like bunches of grapes. Torches lined the corridors by the dozen, and the dining hall itself had been turned into a sight worth seeing. The ceiling reflected the starry night sky outside, while every bench in the hall had been covered with a white tablecloth, and sported a golden candle stand and a white porcelain vase with a few yew twigs and flowers.

"The entire guild's outdone itself," Adiemus told Valkron later on. "I've never seen a place become this grand. Who paid for it?"

"All the bridegrooms involved in the wedding." Valkron grinned at Adiemus' expression. "Everything, including the ceremony and the food. It came up to almost five hundred million zeny in total."

"You're that rich enough to pay?"

"Believe me, Adiemus - a mercenary job is a _good_ job. If you know how to survive, that is. I doubt dead mercenaries ever got rich."

"Who's doing the food?"

"You'd be shocked if I told you. Do you really want to know?"

"Yes."

"Sure?"

"Certain?"

"Really?"

"Damn you, Valkron, just tell me and stop being so secretive."

The knight's grin widened. "Kafra Corporation."

"You're pulling my leg, right?"

"Do I look like I am?"

Adiemus gaped at him. "You certainly know how to pull the right strings, don't you?"

Valkron shook his head. "It wasn't me."

"Emeth?"

"I doubt Emeth would know."

"Aramithar? He lives in Al de Baran, after all."

"Nope." Valkron pointed at someone. "'Give credit where it's due', that's what they always say. Credit goes to him."

"_Samaroh?_"

"Incredible, huh? I didn't even know he knew this much. Then again, he said to leave everything to him."

"I am speechless," said Raven.

"I noticed. You couldn't talk for the past few minutes we were having this conversation," Valkron remarked dryly. "Sorry to leave you, but I have to go and get ready. I know you guys will say I should wear my suit for the rest of the day, but I'd rather not let such fine cloth get drenched in sweat."

"Says the man who hated wearing one," Adiemus said.

"You and your words, Adiemus."

The crusader laughed and turned away. "Come on, Raven. We need to go and see where our seats are."

* * *

The benches in the dining hall were arranged end to end, and the ends all faced the temporary platform at the front of the hall. Valkron leaned against one of these benches as he watched Emeth draw an arc in the air with his hand, as if copying the simple, plain steel wire that formed an arc over the platform.

The wizard muttered something under his breath. A small golden rune appeared in the air on his open palm. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes and blew on it as if it were petals.

Valkron raised his eyebrows. The rune disintegrated into sparkling powder and flowed to the wire as if on a wind no one could feel. The powder spread along the wire.

The people working away at preparing the hall paused in their work to stare at the long green tendrils that were curling around the wire from both ends. As the tendrils reached each other, buds appeared on them and unfurled to become young green leaves.

But that wasn't it. Even more buds appeared, and opened into large, colourful flowers. In minutes the hall was filled with a sweet, pure fragrance that was so subtle Valkron did not even notice until a little while later.

"Your magic never fails to amaze me," he said to Emeth, as they left the hall to get changed. "Where did you learn that from?"

"I made that spell."

Valkron stopped in his tracks. "You _made_ that spell?"

"Yep. I'm the only wizard who knows how to do that. The golden rain in the main hall, the fragrances, the silver plants in the corridors, the night sky enchantments - I made all those spells."

"Whatever for?"

"Fun." Emeth caught Valkron's expression. "I was bored during my student days, see--"

"I get it, I get it." The knight resumed walking. "You've got good taste, I see."

"When you spend time with women you learn a lot about subtlety." Emeth didn't look too happy to reminisce on this particular memory.

Many of the guests were seated by now. This time Selvatinius did not bring his guild along; so did Vineis. However, the priest came alone; Vineis was accompanied by Alya, Lucius and Sheuth. By the time every guest was present it was nine.

Valkron got to his feet. "I thank you for coming all the way here to finish off the celebrations for such an auspicious day in the history of the Raulus. Well then, let me not waste your time any longer. Let the dinner begin!"

The echoes had hardly faded away when Kafra employees filled the hall, bearing in their hands large platters. There was a smattering of appreciative applause, and then the clink of cutlery filled the hall.

There was no way to describe the food. Samaroh had told Valkron that it had been a long time since Kafra Corporation had ever supplied food to an event, and they had jumped up at the opportunity when he had asked them. The Kafra had outdone themselves.

Valkron felt that he couldn't stop smiling, even if his jaw muscles ached. He and the other five were on the platform, along a table that the Kafra employees had especially brought in. Together, they drank the finest mead and ate some of the very best food in the kingdom. In front of them the hall buzzed with excitement and talk, with the occasional shout of laughter. Kafra employees attended to the guests, laughing with them as they called out across the hall to each other.

Midway during the dinner Shen and Adonis got to their feet. As the guests turned to look at them, they raised their glasses of mead to the six on the platform.

"We call for a toast for the six of you!" Shen declared.

As one, the guests stood up. Valkron got to his feet, a little awkwardly - the only toasting he had ever done was to the king, and that didn't happen much. But the whole hall fell silent, and he realised that everyone was looking at the benches where the guild leaders were seated.

Raven and Adiemus got to their feet, smiling broadly and holding up their glasses. So did Selvatinius and Alya. The leaders of the Legionnaires and the Guardians of Geffen looked at each other, clearly unsure if they wanted to toast the people who had held them off so well throughout the year.

But what changed their minds was Vineis. All of a sudden he had risen, and was holding his glass as well, while Lucius got to his feet as well without hesitation. The wizard raised his glass, and nodded.

Sheuth took a little longer to stand, but he did so. Now the entire hall was standing; Kafra employees grasped their trays and stood to attention. Everyone's heads were turned to the six standing in the front.

"May you have long lives in peace together," said Adonis. His face was blank, but his voice was full of gladness.

In one movement everyone drank deeply from their glasses. Then there was a cheer, and applause for the two flag commanders as they sat down. The dinner resumed, beginning mostly with the Kafra employees refilling glasses from half to full.

If anyone had noticed, the level of wine in Sheuth's glass had only gone down by a fraction of an inch.

* * *

Iruna sighed. "I am so tired."

They were alone in their room. Valkron was washing his face, but he heard her from where he was.

"I'm not surprised," he said, turning the tap off. "You and the relatives - I'm lucky I didn't meet any superstitious aunties."

"What?"

"Samaroh's words."

Iruna laughed. She was sitting on the bed, already ready to sleep but far too tired to even lie down. "Let's not talk tonight. I can barely keep my eyes open."

She got up and pulled the blankets back, before she was suddenly enveloped by warmth. Valkron had hugged her from behind, and was now burying his face in her hair. Iruna smiled and closed her eyes, savouring the heat from his body.

Outside, as the moon rose, the trees surrounding Repherion were heavy with white crowns. As the wind blew past and the trees rustled, petals broke away and scattered into the air like shimmering opals in the night sky. No one had actually realised that the trees around Britoniah were, in fact, cherry blossom trees. Their flowers had bloomed that very morning.

* * *

Aah, took me such a long time to write about a wedding. This was inspires by the album I've mentioned before - Paint the Sky with Stars, from Enya. The song with the words _On the way home_ in it was actually the inspiration for practically everything in this chapter.

I'm not Christian, and I haven't been to a Christian wedding, so I was a bit bad on the service. I hope that in the years to come I'll get to know.

One mistake I kept making was putting Valkron as 'her' at some points. XD


	63. First Day

WARNING: This is quite a long chapter. I'd have broken it into half, but then it would have spoiled the pace.

Chapter 63**  
First Day**

Valkron absently drummed his fingers on the table for some time. He was looking at a thick sheaf of papers in his hand, which was why he wasn't concentrating on what his other hand was doing. Behind him, standing a little way away, Emeth stood to attention and gazed off into the distance.

"So you're telling me," he said, "that I can have Nuernberg, no objections?"

"Yes," said Alya, who was sitting opposite the knight.

"Why?"

The sage sighed. "It's a great burden to maintain, especially now in my condition. Besides, the presence of the Left Wing of the Phoenix is rather...overwhelming."

"Yes, I know," agreed Valkron. "Especially when the flag commander of the aforesaid guild extension is a bit of a slave driver when it comes to campaigning."

Alya looked down at the table. "I'd rather not stress myself out so much, Valkron. I should spend more time with my father and Vineis - and at least hope to strengthen the bonds between them."

"Vineis looks forward to visiting your father?"

"He's not so enthusiastic, but he's happy to go. He's not doing it for my sake," she added. "Vineis sincerely wants to be on good terms with Adiemus."

"If you wish, you could tell him Adiemus is not very pleased with Vineis pretending to be an aristocrat." Valkron lowered his voice. "Adiemus does not have such an old-fashioned mindset. He would never dare dream of forcing you to marry a person of noble blood."

"I've told Vineis that before," said Alya, also lowering her voice. "But he's always worried about what other people think of him, you see. That's probably Vineis' weakness."

Valkron leaned back in his seat. "Alya, I respect your decision to come here and surrender Nuernberg to me. However, I don't accept it."

The sage looked surprised. "I thought you wanted to claim it."

Valkron shook his head. "It is enough for us to hold at most three castles in Luina, and that is my personal opinion. One of those three castles is not Nuernberg. Keep the agit, Alya. It is yours."

"But you wanted it, and I thought that by giving it to you we could at least appease your anger towards us--"

"Anger? Why would I be angry?"

"The day the Black Cross elite troops invaded Neuschwanstein although you said you chose not to attack Nuernberg."

The knight sighed. "I don't hold grudges against people, Alya. Even if my guild members do, I don't encourage it. I have told hundreds pf people before, and now I tell you - I have no intention of grabbing every agit in Rune-Midgard. My only intention in involving myself in the War of Emperium is to enable proper defence of the kingdom in times to come."

"From what?" asked Alya, puzzled.

"Best not to ask him that, Alya," said Emeth, before Valkron could answer. "He goes all funny if you ask him questions that pertain to the future."

"Yes, thank you for that timely remark, Emeth," Valkron commented, giving his wizard a look. "He's put it a little crudely, but yes - I'd recommend you to not ask me that. Don't ask why."

"Will you still be bothered if I ask you why you won't take Nuernberg?" asked Alya.

Valkron smiled at her. "No, but you already know the answer. Keep Nuernberg, Alya." He pushed the sheaf of papers he was holding over to her. "I've taken Bright Arbor from you, but it doesn't mean I'm going to be nasty and take Nuernberg as well. Besides, Vineis gave you Nuernberg." He raised his eyebrows. "I'm not going to take away a gift from your husband."

Alya stared a little longer at him. Then her face broke out into a smile. "Thank you, Valkron," she said, getting to her feet. "I will remember this."

"I will, too." Valkron got to his feet and went over to the door, Emeth following him. He opened the door and stood aside to let the sage pass through.

As Alya was about to step over the threshold, the knight stopped her and said, "Alya, you look troubled."

"I still have a lot of things on my mind." She touched the slightly raised lump under her dress. "It is unbelievably difficult to be a future mother."

"I take your word for it," said Valkron. "But, Alya - if you need any help, you can come and see me. I've resumed working in the Chivalry, so don't come and find me here during the day, unless it's the weekend. The receptionist will gladly point the way to my office for you."

The sage nodded, her face cheerful. She stepped out and made her way to Hlin, who was patiently waiting for her a little way away in the main hall.

"She has a really sweet disposition when you're done looking at her determined face," Emeth remarked, as they turned and headed towards the stairs. "Alya's peaceful, but when she wants something she'll work hard to get it."

"I hope she's not straining herself too hard," said Valkron, over the sounds of their footsteps as they made their way up the stairs. "She looked worried back there, even after I'd finished the discussion with her. It's as if something else is bothering her, but she can't tell anyone. Yet."

"She'll be fine, Valkron," Emeth assured him. "Alya has her own way of working out things. Like you said - she's admirable, and she makes a good impression on anyone the moment they see her. Vineis won't give her any trouble, I'm sure of it - he loves her to bits."

"How would you know that?"

"He's been talking about her all the time. He does return to the Geffen Magic Academy from time to time, you know." Emeth rubbed the tip of his nose thoughtfully. "Maybe our first impressions of Vineis weren't enough for us to get to know him better. He seems quite a nice person. If you want someone to suspect, I'd choose his right-hand man."

"Sheuth?"

"Yep. He's got a shifty look to him I don't like, and he always looks like he's up to something."

"Emeth," said Valkron, "all rogues look like they're up to something. Even Raven - and he's too old to be up to something these days. I swear my old mate Saladin looks like he's up to something, and _he_ is a knight from a family of rogues."

"That reminds me," Emeth interrupted. "How was the interview with Sagna?"

Valkron sighed. A day after the wedding Sagna and a colleague from the Information Department came along and questioned him about his life. As Valkron had requested, they did not ask any questions regarding his personal matters before the events of the Dark Portal, but it had been difficult answering him anyway.

"Sagna told me you kept quiet on a lot of matters," continued the wizard. "Even though he asked you questions based on the Dark Portal and after that. He looked a bit worried for you."

"He should just mind his own business," muttered Valkron, as they finally reached the last floor. "That was supposed to be an official interview, not a heart-to-heart with his old tutor. He was still happy with what he got."

"Of course he would be," said Emeth. "I doubt he'd push you any further after knowing you for a couple of years, even if you didn't have the jurisdiction to detain him..."

"I do, but he's not in the same department as I am. That's the difference. Now, get to bed. I don't want to listen to you talking to me, I've got work to do tomorrow and I don't want to be late."

Emeth shrugged and walked off to the room he now shared with Kushana. Valkron opened the door to his and Iruna's room, and was immediately rewarded with a fresh breeze. Iruna liked to open the windows to air the room, although Hlin did mention there was an excess of dust in the room afterwards.

He took a shower and towelled himself dry. It had been several weeks since the marriage, and the Raulus had gone back to the guild war without any trouble at all. They were no longer so active, but Valkron was discussing about their third intended castle in Luina with Adonis. They had no idea which was better, Rothenburg or Wuerzburg.

He was staring out of the window when Iruna opened the door, having returned late. She softened on seeing him.

"Valkron, you don't have to wait for me to come home when you want to sleep," she said, crossing the room and placing her hand on his shoulder. "Why are you standing here without a shirt? You'll catch a cold."

"It's spring."

"No excuses."

Valkron did not answer. Iruna decided not to push the matter and turned to go and take a shower. She looked back at him over her shoulder, and paused.

"Valkron?"

"Mm?" He did not move from where he was.

She turned back and reached out. Valkron did not look around, but he felt her touch his back lightly and slide her fingers across something he knew too well.

"You sure had a difficult life," she said softly, tracing the scar across his back.

"Difficult?" Valkron laughed bitterly. "Iruna, what you're touching is nothing to me. I don't care about the scars on the outside."

The crusader sighed. In the dim light of the lamp in their room, she could see more scars across his back.

"I can imagine," she said, and turned away.

She took her shower and got ready for bed. Valkron hadn't moved from his position the whole time she was dressing, but she didn't mind. They were married now - it didn't matter if he looked or not.

"Valkron, you should come to bed," she said. "You need to get up early in the morning."

"Iruna."

"Hm?"

The knight moved away from the window and pulled out something oblong from the darkness near the bed. "Can you keep this in your storage?"

Iruna looked at the smooth brown leather box in his hands. It had a simple clasp and there seemed nothing special to it.

"Why? What is it for?" she asked, looking up at him. His face was half-shrouded in darkness.

"Don't open it," he said. "Just keep it. Give it to Emeth when the time is right. Don't ask when - you will know when that time comes."

She took it from him, puzzled about the sudden request. She had also never heard him talk in such a detached way.

"I'll remember to bring it with me when I go out tomorrow," she said, putting it down beside the bed on her side. "Now, come on. Get a shirt on, and let's go to bed."

* * *

Iruna nearly tripped over the box the next morning, but she remembered in time. With a sigh, she placed the box on the bedside table on her own side. Valkron was still asleep as she dressed for work - after all, the Chivalry had very little to ask of him, and therefore he did not need to go to work so early. Iruna, on the other hand, was a missionary as well as a sergeant-in-arms, and she had work to do.

She opened the windows, but did not pull back the curtains. Like the knights of the Chivalry Iruna was not required to wear her armour all the time. She usually wore a plain dress, and left her armour in her locker at the headquarters of the Junoan Church. However, she always brought back her sword.

Before she left, she paused to look at Valkron. She still couldn't figure out why he looked so different when he was asleep - why, instead of being a stolid, determined figure, he seemed so normal and gentle. Iruna guessed it was the side he did not show much except when he was truly happy - the side that proved he was still human after all the years of being alone.

Iruna got her peco from the stables and mounted it before clinking off. Hlin was always awake before anyone else, and went to bed after everyone had gone to sleep, so she was there to warp Iruna to Juno. However, Iruna made it a point to put the box into her storage before she left.

Juno, in the early mornings, was a beautiful place to be in. of course, it was cold, but the sight of the kingdom of Rune-Midgard laid out before it was one of the most magnificent sights in the world. As the rays of the sun peeped over the horizon and shone between the grand houses of Juno, Iruna wondered why, as a citizen of Prontera, she worked in the Schwartzwald Republic. Maybe it was because she had stayed in Juno most of her life. It didn't really worry her, because the Schwartzwald Republic had excellent relations with the kingdom of Rune-Midgard.

The whirr of engines brought her to her senses. In the mist that had settled around the buildings, she could vaguely see a large oval-shaped object drift over the rooftops. Iruna ignored it. The whirr of engines was a usual sound in Juno, although she never had the time to go and see the source of the occasionally irritating sound.

She spent a blissful morning dealing with paperwork in her study. Crusaders did not have an office. Like priests crusaders spent most of their time analysing and studying the holy texts; a study was more suitable for someone who spent a lot of time hurrying back and forth between the library and the buildings of the Order of Juno.

Shortly after lunch, a younger crusader approached her. She recognised him to be Edell.

"Greetings, Edell," she said pleasantly. "May God be with you always."

"Greetings, sergeant," he said. "I humbly accept your blessing."

"Can I help you with anything?"

Edell offered an envelope to Iruna. "I'm sorry to inconvenience you, but could you please take this to Sagna of the Information Department, City Division, in the Chivalry? If he asks, tell him it is about the order he made several weeks ago. Are you able to make the trip?"

"Of course," she said, her face breaking out into a smile. "Don't worry, Edell - I know who Sagna is. You do, too."

The young crusader turned red in the face, but he placed his right hand over the left side of his chest. "Thank you, sergeant. Godspeed."

Iruna acknowledged his blessing with a nod, and sighed as she watched him walk off.

"They grow up so _fast_," she said to herself.

* * *

Prontera was as busy as ever when Iruna appeared in the heart of the city. She blinked in the brightness of the sun, steadying herself as a merchant walked past, shouting out his wares to the general public. After taking her bearings she made her way to the Chivalry.

She was greeted by the receptionist, who pointed out the way to her. Iruna headed for the Information Department, marvelling at the coolness of the great marble walls and pillars of the Chivalry. At some point she passed a large sign on the wall that read _Mercenary Knights' Department, Military Division_, along with the massive coat of arms of the kingdom engraved into the wall, and she couldn't help giggling at the thought that just behind that wall Valkron was in there somewhere.

Finally, she reached the Information Department. The first thing that greeted her was the noise.

"Hello, Iruna!" Enriel shouted over the din. "Can I help you!"

The crusader had to make her way carefully over to his desk. There were stacks of paper everywhere, in little chalk circles. Every now and then someone would come over and take a part of the stack out, but this was done by several knights at once. Manoeuvring her way across the floor was a challenge.

"I'd like to see Sagna, please!" she shouted breathlessly up at Enriel. "If that's okay with you! I've got something here for him!"

"No problems, Iruna!" The supervisor turned to the department and bellowed, "Sagna! Supervisor's desk immediately!"

As the crusader reeled from the sudden explosion of sound, Enriel picked up a book and thumped his desk with it. "Keep the noise down, will you?" he shouted. "I can't hear myself think!"

The noise died down a little. Enriel looked down at Iruna. "Sorry. This usually happens during the time we're dealing with the weekly periodical."

"The noise...it's incredible..." whispered Iruna, still slightly stunned.

"When it's over the department gets really peaceful. Hey there, Sagna. I think it's best if you two talk outside. Iruna looks like she won't step into this place again."

Iruna got out, thankfully. Sagna got out behind her, shutting the door. The noise was abruptly cut off.

"Do you guys make that much noise when you're editing and printing your periodical?" asked Iruna.

"Yeah, they do. I was a bit shocked the first time I was there for the printing, but I've got used to it now." Sagna coughed a little. "Can I help you?"

The crusader handed the envelope over to the knight. "Edell says that this has something to do with the order you made several weeks ago."

"Oh, really? Thanks," said Sagna gratefully. "Is that all?"

When Iruna nodded, he jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "Then I've got to get back in there. We're pretty short of people because of the guild war, and every hand's needed. Sorry."

"It's okay," she said.

Sagna turned, and then stopped. He turned back. "Iruna?"

"Hm?"

"Tomorrow's the beginning of the next month, right?"

"Yes, why?"

Sagna shrugged. "Only...I thought you ought to know about this, since you're married to Valkron and everything. Every year, during this time, he gets cranky."

Iruna raised her eyebrows. "Why is that so?"

"No one knows. From tomorrow till the end of the month he'll be cranky. It's always been that way, every year. And on a certain day in the month he gets even crankier. A lot of people start hating him during this month. He's never told us why, and we never dared ask."

The crusader felt mystified, but she smiled. "Thanks for that, Sagna. I'll make sure I don't step across the line with him."

The young knight sighed. "Best not to even go near him. When he gets cranky he _really_ gets cranky. Just be careful around him, and think about what you're going to say. We've got blasted before for saying things that touch a sore spot."

As the knight disappeared back into the noisy department, Iruna wondered, _Why would Valkron be cranky during a certain month every year? He usually has a good reason for his behaviour. And on a certain day in the month he gets even crankier? How cranky can he get? Why?_

_I don't get it._

* * *

Valkron was fine that whole day. He was fine in the evening, when he was joining in with the others at their jokes during dinner. He was fine when they spent an hour together grooming their pecos, where they flicked water at each other and nearly forgot what they were supposed to be doing. He was fine that night, talking with Iruna about his day at the Chivalry.

When Iruna woke up the next morning, she was doubting Sagna's words. Valkron had changed drastically since he had met them - there was a high chance that whatever used to happen would now be redundant. She sat in bed for some time thinking about this, before she turned and hit Valkron, who was still asleep, on the back.

"Ow. What?" he mumbled sleepily. Iruna smiled.

"Get up, or you'll be late for work," she said. "I don't intend to get up earlier than my husband. Either you get up earlier than me, or we both get up at the same time."

"You could go back to sleep."

Iruna playfully pushed him a little. "Very funny."

She took a cold shower while he was still getting up. When she had emerged, fully dressed but hair still wet, he was staring at the little calendar on the table next to his bed.

"Something wrong, Valkron?" she asked, as she began to dry her hair. "You've got something big today?"

He did not reply.

Iruna turned around, a little surprised by the lack of response. "Valkron?"

"Don't talk to me."

His curt reply made her hesitate. She watched him as he moved around the room picking the things he needed before going to carry out his morning ablutions.

"Valkron," she said, finally, when he was about to go into the bathroom, "what's wrong? You seem upset--"

"I said don't talk to me!"

Iruna cringed. Valkron's tone was so harsh it had sounded like a snarl. Without looking at her he went in.

Instead of leaving for work she decided to hang around and wait for him. Whatever Iruna was, she was always determined to get down to the bottom of things. Valkron's case was no different. It was a duty that had long since been ingrained into her system, and it would take a long time and possibly radical surgery to change that.

She watched him as he emerged and went to wipe his face dry, not daring to say anything. He seemed to ignore her, as if she wasn't there - as if she didn't exist.

Well, it seemed that way, until she moved a little. Valkron immediately looked at her.

"What are you standing there for? Don't you have work to do?" he snapped.

Iruna decided not to argue, and left promptly.

Although she was late for work, she did not care. After completing her tasks for the morning, she went to her favourite place in the Order of Juno. It was located in a small courtyard somewhere in the maze of buildings that was the headquarters of the Order, which was always tended to by an old gardener who liked to rake the gravel there in delicate scallop patterns, and took the form of an alcove with a small bench.

She sat down on the bench and thought for a long time.

* * *

When she returned from work in the evening, Valkron was not around in the meeting room where all the others congregated to take a break. The strange thing was that half of them had seen him walk into Repherion earlier that day. Valkron's work hours were different from Iruna's - his department demanded less unless there was a war going on.

"Are you sure he didn't walk out of Repherion?" she asked them.

"No," said Khan, looking up from his cards. "I was on patrol duty today, and I saw him walk in."

"But you're sitting here playing cards."

"My shift's over. Though...I don't think Valkron would want to go anywhere at this time of the day."

"Khan, it's spring. It's a nice, warm day today, and the skies are clear and bright. Who wouldn't want to go out?"

"Because he didn't look as if he wanted to," replied Amaru, who was sitting opposite Khan.

"You purposely went and took a look at his face?" asked Emeth, looking up from his books nearby.

"No, I could tell. Valkron doesn't seem so outgoing, and he usually is." The blacksmith drew a card from the deck and laid it face down on the table. "I wouldn't have gone near him for a bag of gold. He doesn't look happy."

"Anyone know why?" asked Iruna to the room in general, keeping an eye on Amaru. There were a chorus of "No" and much shaking of the head.

She sighed. "He won't talk to me. It's as if he doesn't want to mix around with us at all. I have no idea why."

"Maybe it's just his mood," said Eni, who was petting Fluffball. "Or maybe someone upset him. Noc, I hope you didn't go and play a prank on him."

"What? No! I'd play tricks on Samaroh, but not Valkron!" The hunter looked shocked, while Samaroh gave him a dagger look from behind.

"I doubt Nocturne played a prank on him last night," said Iruna apprehensively. "Besides, he's not the kind of person who dislikes jokes being played on him. True, he might be a bit disgruntled, but he doesn't usually mind."

Khan shrugged. "Then we can't actually help you there, Iruna."

The crusader sighed. "Where's Kyo?"

"Preparing for the thief guild assessments," replied the grey-haired assassin. "They're running night classes these days, in order for thieves to get used to the dark. I personally think that's unfair, because if you're a thief you have to get used to the dark one way or another, and learn how to use it on your own."

Iruna looked at Amaru. "Enjoying yourself?"

"Business is good," answered the blacksmith. "I have nothing else to ask for."

"You talk a lot these days, hm?" she said, smiling fondly despite herself. "And don't you dare smoke here. If you want to smoke, go outside. Don't even think of lying down with your head in the hearth and exhaling smoke up the chimney."

Amaru gave her a mystified look. "Why would I want to do that? I'm not stupid."

"No, but I know you're desperate for a pull. Just three words, Amaru - _not in here_."

"All right."

She went and made herself a cup of tea, the previous moments of cheerfulness fading away already. Emeth did not look up from his work as she sat down beside him, cup of tea in hand.

After a while, he said, "Hard, eh?"

"What is?"

"Valkron."

She looked at him. He hadn't looked up from his work.

"What do you mean?"

Emeth turned a page of the book he was marking. "I mean that it's so difficult to understand him. At one point you think you know everything about him, and then suddenly something comes up and you realise that what you know isn't the whole thing."

Iruna looked into the cup of tea she had in her hands. "Yeah."

The wizard dipped his quill into the bottle of red ink nearby and tapped the nib on the rim. "Personally, I think that Valkron doesn't like this month."

"Why do you think so?"

"Because his behaviour changed on the first day of the month." Emeth resumed marking the book in front of him. "I bet that when the end of the month comes he'll be fine again."

"But I want to know why," said Iruna softly.

There was a soft thump as Emeth shut the book he was marking. "Good student," he remarked. "Doesn't simply copy from the textbook. Knows what he's learning. I wish everyone else was like that, but if it was so, then the world would be pretty boring." He looked at Iruna. "My advice is that you should get to the root of the problem. Maybe ask Sagna a bit more on things. Try his old friends - maybe Enriel might help you out there. Or Adiemus. Or Saladin. They could help."

Iruna looked up. "Why are you so sure about what you're saying?"

"I'm not sure," answered the wizard, pulling another book towards him. "But I think that's the only way you can find out. After all," he looked up at her, "you don't use only _one_ book for reference, do you?"

* * *

It was not easy to get a day off from work. It was even harder to 'borrow' Enriel and Saladin. Iruna finally solved the problem by inviting them to lunch in the Crown and Axe one day.

Iruna admitted that it was a little unnerving to talk to two knights who didn't act or look like knights, but she felt much easier to talk with them. Other knights would have donned their armour before going out into the city; Enriel and Saladin hadn't even bothered.

They listened to her over their meal, and did not talk until they had finished eating. Then, when the waitress had taken away their dishes, Enriel leaned back and said, "Iruna, he never told us why."

"Well, maybe he gave you some clues as to why he behaves as such," she said. "I'm not going to give up on him, Enriel."

"I never said you should." The supervisor nudged Saladin, who was lighting a cigarette. "What are your thoughts on this?"

The red-haired knight blew out a stream of blue smoke. "Frankly, I can't help you there either. All I know is that he doesn't want to talk to people when he's in such a bad mood. He also dislikes watching people laugh and joke around during this month. Don't let him see a family, don't laugh at him, and don't try and make him socialise."

Enriel patted him on the shoulder. "You're putting her right off, mate. She looks like she's wishing she never asked you that question."

Saladin shrugged. "That's what I observed when I was around him in Morroc. He frequently goes out at night alone for a bit of solitude, too - as if he doesn't want to share his feelings with anyone else, but he feels like he needs to spit them out."

A rogue passed by. "Hey, Saladin. It's been a straight fidgit, hasn't it?"

"Yo. Scanters to you, docky. Still looking a drit fine lanko, I see." Saladin lazily raised his cigarette.

"Raven!" exclaimed Iruna. "What are you doing here?"

"Huh?" said the rogue. "I eat lunch here. I haven't completely abandoned Prontera yet, Iruna. Besides, I work underneath it."

"I need you to help me out with something," she said. "If you can. Please?"

"Is that the reason why you're sitting here with two knights, Iruna?" Raven hastily changed tack when he saw her expression. "Okay, okay, I'll help you. No need to look at me like that."

He sat down on the unoccupied chair next to Iruna. "What's wrong? You look like you got a weekit."

"Um...Raven, I don't understand rogue slang," said the crusader. "Sorry."

"Oh, yeah...what was I thinking. I should be the one to apologize, it's all right. What I meant was, you seem troubled."

"It's the month, Raven," said Enriel.

"What? What month?"

"You know. The month." The blue-haired knight gave him a look. "Who's she married to?"

Raven looked back at her. "Bad mood? Not talking? Snaps at everyone who talks to him? Stays alone? Doesn't like laughter?"

"I haven't actually experienced the 'doesn't like laughter' bit, but you're right," Iruna said carefully.

The rogue shrugged. "We usually let it be, Iruna. He gets so touchy we don't even dare ask anything. Also, it's not our business."

"It's _my_ business to know, Raven," she said fiercely.

"Yeah, but it's not like he wants to tell--"

"Raven," said Saladin, "she's his _wife_. She's not some stranger. Go on, spill what you know."

"I'm sorry, but all I know is that right in the middle of the month he gets so cranky no one wants to go near him," replied Raven. "He seems almost capable of killing someone on that day - but he doesn't do it. Which shows that he knows what's going on around him. I just usually let him be."

"What about Adiemus? Does he know anything about this?"

"He might," conceded the rogue. "Actually, he might be a better source. He was with Valkron the whole time during the mercenary war ten years ago, and that's about several years I'm talking about."

"What about you?" she asked, looking around at them. "How long have you known Valkron?"

"We didn't really see him much around the Chivalry when we were younger, since we belonged to different departments," said Enriel. "I met him in Morroc during the mercenary war, to get information."

"I was his guide to the oasis of Al'Zahur," replied Saladin. "Which wasn't very long. He appreciated the help I gave him during that time."

"I met him when they were travelling through their last leg of the desert, after the squad he was in got whittled down to just four, including him," explained Raven. "I was the one who gave him directions to the nearest relief tent, and gave him the compass I was using."

"So he made friends with you just because he appreciated the help you gave him?" asked Iruna, a little desperately.

"In Enriel's case, it's more of the fact that Enriel doesn't act like a knight," said Saladin, pointing to the blue-haired knight.

The crusader sighed. "Looks like I have to go and talk to Adiemus."

Raven patted her on the shoulder. "Valkron will be fine. He's a tough guy, and it's all right to leave him--"

"I am _not_ going to leave him alone."

* * *

When she finished her work for the day she did not return home. Instead, she went to see Adiemus.

The old crusader was now working as a missionary. Although he had not stopped fighting, he preferred to sit around with a book and preach over using his sword. There would be a time, he said to younger crusaders, when fighting didn't seem like the best thing to do in a world like this anymore, and one day it would come for them.

He was studying several ancient texts in the Junoan library when she finally found him. Since they were in the Religion section, there was no one else in there apart from the both of them.

"Hello, Adiemus," she said.

The crusader looked up, pulling down his glasses to look over them. "Oh, hello, Iruna. It's been a few weeks, hasn't it?"

"Yes," she said. "It has."

She sat down in front of him and watched as he carefully translated the old book he had in front of him. Eventually he looked up again and said, "Are you all right, Iruna?"

"Why did you ask me that question?" she asked, startled.

"Because you don't look good." Adiemus put down his quill. "And I'm thinking only one person can make you look like that. Valkron."

"It's not as if he's doing anything wrong to me," she said.

The old crusader took off his glasses. "No, but you worry about him."

"Did Raven tell you anything?"

"No. I didn't leave the Order today." Adiemus looked up at her. "But I was expecting you."

Iruna sighed. She didn't usually talk to Adiemus when they were in the Order, partially because she was usually at work, but mostly because he seemed so..._abstract_. But she couldn't help it - this was something urgent that she had to see to.

"Please tell me more about him," she said. "Everything. I need to know why he's so troubled."

"Valkron has memories he doesn't want to remember," said the old crusader. "He always locks them away, but everyday there are things that bring them out, again and again. He blames himself for being too weak and submissive to such trivial matters. To him the past is just a lesson to learn - I've never seen him repeat the same mistakes he made, whether intentional or accidental.

"However, there are some triggers to his behaviour. This month is one such example of a trigger."

"And what can I do to help him?"

"Get to the root of the problem."

Iruna looked at him, aghast. "You mean you don't know?"

"No one who knows him knows." Adiemus sighed sadly. "I came very close to finding out, but his hatred for himself and his memories kicked in then."

"No." Iruna put her head in her hands. "No. There's some way to doing this, I know that. I just know."

"Iruna."

She looked up at him. Adiemus smiled a little.

"Think of this as a test," he said. "I know at this time you would think me mad for saying that, but I can tell you - living with Valkron has its challenges. He's a bit like Selva, you know - he tests people all the time, to see if they are trustworthy. Maybe it's a test to see how much you love him, how far you'd go for him. Maybe...one day, he will go very far for you."

"How far?"

Adiemus put his glasses back on. "As far as death itself."

* * *

Still pondering, Iruna cleaned up her study, packed her things and walked out. She made her way all the way to the gates in silence.

When she reached the gates, she could see someone coming in. Iruna bowed her head and focused on walking out. She had larger problems to see to, and she did not want to be distracted from them.

Without looking around, she passed Zweihaender. He stopped walking as she passed him, but she felt too burdened to even raise her head.

She did not see Zweihaender turn around and watch her go.

* * *

After she finished telling Emeth what the others had told her, the wizard leaned back in his seat.

"It looks like you have to do a bit of thinking yourself," he said. "There's nothing much I can glean from your information."

Iruna simply sighed.

Eventually she broke the silence. "Adiemus said that nobody who knows him knows why he behaves this way." She looked up. "So what about the people who don't know him?"

Emeth smiled at her.

"You knew all the time!" she exclaimed in annoyance.

"Well, it's not like I know what to do," he said. He put an arm around her shoulders. "Look, Iruna, there's only one thing I can tell you. It's my idea, so it might be wrong, though."

"At this moment in time, Emeth, I'm desperate for anything."

"Valkron is upset during a certain month, and even more on a certain day. Once the month is over, he's fine," Emeth sat back in his seat and folded his arms across his chest. "My guess is that something happened in his life. Something that occurred during this month. And he's never recovered from it. He's cranky because he hates that it crops up when he doesn't want it to, and it takes him all his energy to withstand it. So he usually doesn't have the time or energy to be nice to us. Also, we might affect him, so he's afraid we might make him angry."

Iruna stared at him. "That's a very long assumption about someone we don't even fully know."

"Well, we don't know him," said Emeth. "But then again the people who know him don't know what's wrong with him. So what are you banking on?"

The crusader kept quiet for some time. Then she said, "If what you say is right, then what happened in his life?"

"Don't ask me," answered the wizard, shrugging. "But if you did, I'd say it's something that happens every year in his life."

Iruna gave him a look. "Are you trying to be funny with me?"

"No, I'm being plain straight out with you," said Emeth. He lowered his voice. "Iruna, I know how much you care for him. I don't want to look like a berk, but...I care for him, too."

She looked up, shocked. Emeth had an expression on his face that she had never seen before - an expression of deep concern and anxious hope.

"You're the one who's the closest to him at the moment," he said. "I guess it's all on you, now...but I swear, if you need any help I'll be there to give it my all. I've told you what I thought, and gave you a clue on what I suspect it to be. Now you go ahead and turn the tide around." He took her hand. "We'll do it together. For Valkron."

* * *

The middle of the month took a long time to come, but to Iruna and Emeth it didn't matter. Both of them worked away at preparing whatever they thought was the root of the problem to Valkron's horrible temper. Sometimes it got tough; sometimes they wished they had never tried doing it. But the strong bonds of friendship held. The Raulus was no longer just a guild. It was one large family.

However, Iruna was worried - so deeply worried that when Emeth voiced the thought that all their effort would be wasted if his assumption hadn't been right she nearly broke down. He never brought the subject up again.

The whole guild chipped in. It was easier to hide whatever they were doing from Valkron than they thought, because he went out at night into the forest, to be by himself. The guild spent sleepless nights preparing quietly in the many meeting rooms in the higher floors, careful not to alert Valkron to their activities. The night patrol proved themselves especially useful in this.

On the night before the expected time Valkron would turn extremely short-tempered, Iruna lay in bed alone and stared at the ceiling. She had never imagined that her husband would be so troubled to this extent. What they were preparing for was something that children and adults alike looked forward to...but Valkron hated it. He hated the memories it had left behind.

She hoped that their efforts would have an effect. She hoped that Emeth was right. She hoped that Valkron would accept it. She hoped...

Iruna turned over in bed. After a while, a sob escaped her, followed by a few more.

Eventually the noise died down, to be replaced by deep breathing. Then a shadow moved from the door, from where it had been standing. The door had opened while she had been crying, so she had not heard it.

Very gently, Valkron caressed her cheek with his hand.

* * *

The next morning began with a lot of shouting. Iruna, who was brushing her hair, dropped her brush and ran out and downstairs to see Valkron snarling at Samaroh. Later on she learned that the priest had given him a good-natured slap on the back, and received an earful.

"More like several earfuls in one shout," he said in a subdued voice. "I just wanted to tell him good morning, and give him a bit of luck for his day..."

Kushana kissed him on the head, much to his embarrassment and much to the others' amusement. "It's all right. After today it'll be fine."

Emeth and Iruna looked at each other. That was the thing they were worried about, but they did not say it. They did not want their guildmates to lose hope.

Only Valkron went to work. The entire guild had asked for a day off from their respective associations. Once he had left Britoniah, they set to work around the castle. There was so much to do that they roped in all the Kafras of Britoniah.

Iruna was there to greet Valkron in the evening. She waited nervously. It was as if she could hear her heart beating harder in her anxiety.

When he appeared at the gates, she watched him lead his peco to the stables outside Repherion. As he walked to the doors, she went forward to meet him.

"Hello, Valkron," she said. "Do you mind if I take you in?"

He looked at her, but he said nothing. She took it to be a 'yes' and linked her arm with his. Then they walked in together.

The castle was dark. The torches had not been lit. Iruna led him through the main hall as he looked around the place.

"Why aren't the torches lit?" he asked, his tone harsh and cold. "This place looks more like a cave than the agit it is. Don't tell me everyone is slacking."

"No, no, we didn't slack," she said calmly, hoping her voice would not convey her fear and anxiety.

"Why is it so quiet? Where's everyone gone? If anyone's left without my permission I'm not going to be happy over this."

"Valkron."

"What is it now?"

She looked at him and put a finger to her lips. "Shh."

In the silence, they walked down the corridor to the dining hall. Iruna pushed open the doors.

The dining hall was pitch black - so dark that they couldn't see a thing. There was no one else. Nothing moved.

"What the--"

"Valkron."

"What?" he snapped.

Iruna shook her head. "You shouldn't be angry today."

Valkron stared at her. She smiled at him and turned around. "Emeth!"

A few seconds later a small flame came to life in the hall. It moved towards them, just at the level of their heads, until it came close enough to reveal that Emeth was holding a small fireball in one hand.

"Yes, Iruna?" he said.

She nodded. "Light the hall."

The wizard laughed. "Okay!"

He hurled the ball into the air.

The fireball exploded. All the torches in the hall were instantly aflame. And as the hall became brighter than the sun at noon, the entire guild, who had been silent up till now at the back, cheered, whooped and screamed as the sparks the fireball had produced in the explosion darted together, amassed and formed the words HAPPY 40TH BIRTHDAY VALKRON.

Iruna looked at Valkron - and felt so relieved that she wanted to cry. The knight was staring at the words. His bad temper was gone, and in its place was an expression of shock so pronounced that he wasn't aware his jaw had dropped open.

"Well, let the man come along and see what we've done for him," said the wizard. Iruna gently nudged Valkron; the knight came to his senses just enough to move to the table the entire guild had crowded around and were now waiting eagerly for him.

It had taken much work for a cake to be produced, but as usual Hlin had come to the rescue. She had baked one, right in Repherion, and enlisted her fellow Kafras to prepare enough food. Iruna had spent much time planning with her, and the product was a cake so beautiful that no one dared touch it. It had been treated as if it was the most precious and fragile jewel in the world.

Everyone cheered and laughed as Valkron was led over, still with his expression of shock. There were shouts of "Many returns of the day!" and "Never thought we'd see this in our lives!", before Emeth, standing tall over them, clapped his hands.

"Sing! Come on, everyone, sing!" he shouted.

The scattered, disorganised shouting became a feeble attempt at singing, but it was Samaroh who saved them. He climbed onto a nearby bench and, with his light but powerful tenor voice he sang the opening note, before he led them in the melody. Amaru, Silas and Emeth supported the singing with their bass, baritone and alto voices.

Iruna took the knife Hlin had put by the side in one hand, took Valkron's right hand in the other and put the knife into his hand. At the touch of the cold metal he looked down at it. She pointed it to the cake, but he didn't seem to know what to do with it. So she clasped his hand in hers and waited until the singers around them hit the last note. Then everyone resumed their cheering.

"Blow out the candles, Valkron," she said in his ear. "Make sure you blow them out in one go. Make a wish as you do so. Don't tell us what that wish is - keep it to yourself, so that it'll come true."

He did not answer her, but much to her surprise he did exactly what she told him to do. The cheering intensified as she guided his hand and let the blade of the knife sink deep into the cake.

"The first slice is for you," she said to him. "But you have to hand out the other slices, so cut the cake. Don't worry - there's enough for everyone."

He did so, still unsure and shocked. Iruna guided his hand. Everyone took their share, and soon they were talking happily, laughing and joking with each other. Emeth and Nalini entertained everyone with different spells, and eventually challenged each other to an impromptu spell competition. No one was too sure who won, but who cared?

And all along, Iruna stayed with Valkron, holding his hand and telling him everything. She reflected on this later on, and thought that he seemed unlike himself during that time - less of a lonely man and more of a lonely child.

* * *

That night, once everyone had tired themselves out and gone to bed, Iruna sat down with Valkron on the edge of their bed. She held his hands and looked into his face.

"Let me guess this," she said quietly. "Have you ever had a birthday?"

"With my parents." His voice was just as quiet.

"Until?"

"Ten."

"And then?"

He shook his head.

"No one cared, right?" she said. "You told them the date, but no one cared. Everyone forgot. No one wished you happy birthday. No one gave you presents. And you came to hate the day you were born, because of your suffering."

Valkron said nothing, but she knew what she had said was right. She reached up and touched his face.

"Listen, Valkron," she said. "We'll go any length to help you. We want to see you trust us. We love you, Valkron. To us, you are the best leader we have ever known in our lives. We want you to be happy."

She kissed him on the cheek and hugged him. "Most of all, we want you to laugh with us, and no longer hate yourself for who you are. Welcome home, Valkron."

In the silence, as she pressed her ear to his chest, she could hear his comforting heartbeat. She smiled and closed her eyes. The warmth of the man she loved...

"Thank you, Iruna."

Valkron's voice was subdued, but she knew he meant what he said. They hugged each other for a long time.

Valkron never descended into bad temper during that month again - ever.

* * *

A lot - and I mean A LOT - of appreciation to the band Our Lady Peace for their song Thief, which helped convey the emotions in this chapter. Iruna's lack of knowledge about Valkron and her determination to understand him is closely related to the song.

This may seem unnecessary at this point, but in actual fact I'm gearing up for the ultimate test of my main character. If you've noticed, the chapters for Samaroh and Amaru's stories began with 'Memories of...', and the word that filled in the blank began with a D (that's a clue right there...).

So, yes, very soon you will hear the story of the white-haired knight who has survived all this while to face the biggest challenge of his life.

Rogue slang glossary

fidgit (usually used with the word 'straight') - age; a long time

scanters - due to an amusing incident in rogue history, 'scanters' is now the standard greeting amongst rogues. Can mean 'good day', 'nice to see you', 'greetings', 'hello', etc.

docky – mate, friend, pal. Also due to aforesaid amusing incident in rogue history. Rogues don't forget things easily, but they like to remember them in a casual way - even if said event was not good.

drit fine lanko - by appearance, said person is in good health.

weekit - problem (as from the chapter 28).

I CAN'T BELIEVE I WROTE THIS CHAPTER.


	64. David's Oath

Chapter 64**  
David's Oath**

"I'm busy," said Valkron.

"With what?" asked Iruna.

"Prontera Foundation Day." The knight took a sip from the clear yellow liquid in the transparent apple-shaped glass bottle through a straw.

Iruna, having finished all her work, had been permitted to leave the Order early. She had decided to visit Valkron instead of returning to Repherion, and had found him in the entrance hall in the Chivalry.

"When is it?"

"Soon."

"How soon?"

"Soon." Valkron drank again; there was a faint _slrrrrp_.

Iruna very primly took the bottle from him. He gave her a look, which she returned with a similar expression.

"I'm on my break, you know," he said irritably. "You're not helping."

"I'd like to know when exactly, Valkron. 'Soon' just doesn't cut it."

"The second week of next month," he said. "The day itself kicks off the week-long celebrations. Could I have my juice back? I haven't eaten since breakfast. Thank you."

Iruna shook her head. "You should eat something small, at least. You can't just go hungry."

"I've gone hungry more than I can count, in my entire lifetime. This is nothing compared to it. Besides," Valkron waved a hand at the large decorative archway being built in the entrance hall, "how do you eat while fixing _that_?"

The crusader looked at it. "Where's that going up?"

"The Northern Gate. The archways for the Western and Southern Gates are being built in separate areas in the Chivalry - one in my department, and one in the Information Department. They've cleared the desks away there, so I can't do any work. I decided to go and help out, in any case."

"The archway is beautiful," said Iruna.

"You know Nadir? Enriel's rookie information gatherer? That's his work. Trust the kid to have an artistic side." Valkron finished his drink. It had taken Iruna a bit of time to recognise him, because he was wearing a worn grey tunic with the sleeves rolled up, and brown trousers, and had pulled his hair back with his headband. He looked more like a dockyard worker than anything else.

"So are you just cutting the pieces that make it up? Or are you fixing the framework on?"

"Framework. Has more thinking to do. We're facing a problem now, so I'm just taking a few minutes off while the head builder figures the maths out." The knight went to throw his bottle away. Iruna waited for him until he came back.

"Not going to eat?"

"I'll eat later." Valkron leaned against the receptionist's desk. "They're almost finished with the archway. Once they're done we just fix the framework onto the pieces, put them together and go and haul them up outside. Oh, yes - I'll be coming back late. We still have to deal with the decorations."

"Helping people out because you like it?" she asked, tilting her head to look into her husband's face.

"Because I belong to the Chivalry, and this is a Chivalry job," he answered, his face blank. "Doing this isn't optional."

She laughed. "Oh, you don't have to hide your feelings from me, Valkron. I know you just want to help."

After a while, she said, "How long does this go for?"

"For as long as it has to, which is until the celebrations are over. That's a week after Prontera Foundation Day." He turned to her. "Look, I'm sorry, okay--"

"You don't have to apologise." She smiled at his surprised face. "The Raulus is coming to help."

"What? But...what if a guild decides to attack us?"

"The Guild Liaison Office has called off the guild war. I know," she added, seeing his expression change. "But it looks as if they're really focused on the whole Prontera Foundation Day celebrations. Everyone's not at their usual jobs."

"What do you mean?"

"We've got hunters securing city boundaries from monsters, assassins and rogues making sure that there are no small-time muggers or crime gangs planning anything, wizards and sages producing fireworks for the big day...believe me, there's no end to what they're doing. Even the Monastery of the Mists and the Prontera Church are working together, which is saying something considering their differences in their faiths."

"A day I never imagined I'd see," agreed Valkron. "But why would the Raulus come here? The Black Cross has everything covered, hasn't it?"

"The Black Cross is like a privately owned guild, Valkron," said Iruna, giving him a look. "It's the only guild that isn't a King's Mercenary guild."

"Oh, yes. Thanks for reminding me."

"We'll be coming tomorrow to help you out in the Chivalry," she said, turning away. "I'll just leave you for today, so you can have some peace without me bothering you..."

Valkron leaned back against the desk and sighed. Although he was glad to get back to work, he preferred it when she was around.

* * *

Reita walked into the small library in Gondul and looked up and down the shelves.

"David?" she asked. "Where can I find _Principles of Earth Magic_?"

The blacksmith, who was slumped in a chair near the empty fireplace, replied, "Look under the Nature section."

The dancer made as if to go to aforesaid area, but after she took one look at her boyfriend she came back and took a close look at him.

"Are you all right?" she asked him concernedly. "I'm asking you seriously."

"I'm fine," he said.

Reita sat down next to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "You look half-dead and you're not interested in anything these days. What's happened?"

David sighed and pulled himself up by an inch or so. "The place doesn't seem the same without Kuroihi and Naobi. They're usually silent, but their atmosphere has something in it other people don't have."

She gave him a worried smile. "It's not like we can do anything about it, David."

"I'm still wondering why Vineis expelled them," said the blacksmith. "I don't really care about the three elites - they've had their reign long enough - but the two of them have always been part of the senior circle, ever since I joined."

"Maybe he made a mistake," she said soothingly.

"It wasn't a mistake. That was the bloody order in his bloody handwriting and confirmed with his bloody signature--"

"The order wasn't covered in blood, you know," Reita said, raising an eyebrow.

"It should have been!" David leaned back and massaged his forehead. "I don't understand why this is happening to us. We've always been one guild, always in peace."

Reita sighed. Although she knew David did not really express his emotions to her most of the time, she recognised depression when she saw it. Maybe it was due to stress being such an excellent battle forger, but when he was dejected it spread to the people around him, and made everything look blacker than night.

"I'll be damned if the Raulus started all of it," he said quietly. "When they appeared on the guild lists everything started to go wrong."

"David, you don't have any proof that it happened."

"No, but I bet my axe it does." He turned his head away.

The dancer reached out. "David, listen--"

The blacksmith moved away from her. "Leave me."

She recognised the tone. With a sigh, she got to her feet. "You shouldn't be so stressed like this, David," she said. "You're killing yourself slowly like this. We should ask Vineis what happened, if you're so bothered about it. Otherwise you shouldn't think anymore. We still have a guild to run here, you know."

David said nothing. Reita shook her head and headed off deeper into the library.

A little later on, once the dancer had left, and David had dozed off, a shadow amongst the bookshelves moved on its own accord to the door. No one heard the door open and then close - as if someone else had left the library.

* * *

It was a big shock for Valkron to see his friends arrive in the Chivalry the next morning. Of course, he knew they would be coming - but it was still a big shock to see them traipsing in. None of them wore their usual clothes.

"Well, we're ready," said Emeth, pulling back his sleeves. He too looked like a dockyard worker in a long-sleeved tunic that hung off him, and baggy breeches.

The other knights looked at him. "Eh?" said someone.

"They're here to help," explained the knight. "Now, if you're done staring come on and help. We don't have much time."

Valkron knew the other knights were doubtful about letting a small portion of a guild helping them in the knight-only Chivalry, but he had nothing to say. Besides, he knew they were secretly glad that some extra help had come along.

Eventually the entire archway was done, along with the framework. Now all that needed doing was the archway pieces to be attached onto the framework. However...the weight of the pieces was proving a major obstacle in the construction. It needed at least three knights to hold one up while they were hammering it on, and this got into the way a little. Knights had limited strength, after all.

Valkron signalled to Amaru and Silas, the two most strength-based members of his guild. Their combined strength required no third person, but it wasn't enough.

"Hey, I have an idea," said Emeth, his voice echoing across the hall as the knights stood around and discussed the problem at hand. They paused to watch him lift up several pieces at once with telekinesis.

"How's that?"

"We need it to be at the right place while we fix them on," said a knight, whom everyone knew was Devar - the knight who had led the nine surviving knights and crusaders during the Dark Portal.

"Imagine that this," Emeth waved a hand between the air and the archway piece he was holding up with telekinesis, "has a grip stronger than steel. I guarantee that there will be no moving while you fix it on. How's that?"

The knights looked at each other, and then nodded. Valkron watched as they dispersed to work on the pieces.

"I don't get it," he said to Emeth. "You can't fix them on by magic?"

"Spells wear off after a certain time, Valkron," said the wizard, who was sweating a little. "There is no spell that can last as long as these archways are up."

"You made the spells for the Dark in Geffen."

"Environmental factors can affect the spells as well," said Emeth.

It took some time, and probably half of Emeth's energy capacity. Samaroh threw him a few blue potions after the working. He sat down and drank while the knights amassed together to discuss the final moving.

"The problem with the archway construction was that it was supposed to be done in secret," said Devar to Valkron. "That's why the archways are being constructed in different departments."

"Oh? So whose bloody intelligent idea was it to build them _inside_ a building?" retorted the older knight, with much sarcasm. "We can't move the archways out of the building, let alone move them at all!"

"Valkron, I can do it," called out Emeth from where he was sitting.

"No, you stay there and shut up," snapped the knight. "You already spent your energy lifting those pieces!"

"I didn't mean that."

"Then what did you mean?"

"I can get you someone who can move the archways," said Emeth, winking. "And I can get someone else who can bring the archways to exactly where you want them."

Ten minutes later, Valkron came face to face with Blizzardriss and a witch he did not know. As he stared at them, Emeth said, "You know Blitz already, so no need to introduce him to you."

"My name is Ishalis," said the witch, who had long hair reaching down to her waist and tied with a ribbon. "I'm the head of the Time-Space Manipulation Research Department in Geffen Magic Academy."

"Wow," said Valkron dryly. "And what's your plan?"

"Blizzardriss has enough power to move an entire archway," explained Emeth. "He has his own brand of magic, as the registrar."

"The weight," said Valkron, "is more than a hundred knights can carry."

"True," said Blizzardriss, nodding. "But I have the ability to ignore the weight of whatever I am transporting via telekinesis, and therefore anything that is heavy to you weighs nothing to me."

"And Ishalis?"

"She's capable of creating a warp portal between two target locations. As long as she can visualise the destination, she can transport anything this way."

"Can her portals take such a large object?" asked Devar.

"Not always," Ishalis said. "In order to take a large weight I must compromise another vital element to portal spells. In this case I've decided to compromise time. The warps I create will only last for thirty seconds before they collapse."

Before anyone could protest, Valkron turned to Blizzardriss and remarked, "And I can trust you to push these archways into and out of these portals within that thirty seconds."

"That isn't a problem." Blizzardriss briefly touched the brim of his hat. "I'm not a registrar for nothing."

Emeth went with Ishalis to recognise the distinct features of the Northern Gate. Meanwhile, Blizzardriss held out his hands at the archway and concentrated. A streak of white light burst forth from his palms and began to entwine itself around his fingers.

The entire archway lifted into the air. As the knights around it backed away, it ascended until it was halfway between the ceiling and the floor. Very slowly, it turned over so that it was now upright - and still hovering two feet above the floor.

A magic circle appeared on the floor just then. Like a small comet being drawn on the floor, blue-white light emerged from its centre and spiralled outwards, before emitting waves of bright light exactly like a portal. There were exclamations of surprise as the portal rose off the floor and turned itself over until the white disc was facing the archway.

Valkron was reminded of a large hole swallowing up objects as the archway moved through it. It was fairly fast, but that was because Blizzardriss had to get there before the archway did. He ran into the portal full speed after the archway.

Before anyone else could move, the white spinning disc suddenly imploded. As the dust fell from the ceiling, Valkron called out, "To the Northern Gate!"

There was a rush for the doors; the Raulus waited until all the knights were out before leaving. In Valkron's personal opinion his guild should have gone first, but he said nothing.

There was already a crowd around the Northern Gate, attracted by a massive archway weighing a tonne or so emerging from a white disc, along with a wizard with green hair. The knights quickly dispersed the crowd, since the decorations of Prontera Foundation Day were kept secret.

"About the one thing we can keep the King from knowing," said Devar to Valkron, as they watched. Throughout the moving of the archway there was a large blue cloth draping the entire structure so that no one could see how it looked like. The cloth was of rough hemp and was so heavy it would take about six or seven pecos to pull the cloth off when the time came.

To fit the archway onto the gateway there were large iron brackets fitted onto the stone. Blizzardriss had to slot the entire framework onto them - and this was something he disliked.

"I'm fine with holding things up for a long time," he protested to Devar. "But fitting it on is a completely different thing. How am I supposed to know that it's on right?"

It was Ishalis who came to his rescue, eventually. She placed a temporary spell that would inform her if the archway was correctly placed, both on the brackets and the archway itself. Besides, once Blizzardriss had released his grip on the archway, there was a fairly loud _clonk_ that indicated he hadn't _placed_ it on the brackets - he had just made sure that it was in the right place before simply dropping the entire archway onto the brackets.

"Is it me," Devar asked Valkron, "or is Blizzardriss actually smiling and still being his active self even after carrying something that weighed over a tonne?"

"That's what he can do, apparently."

"How many more archways, Valkron?" asked Emeth, just then.

"As many as there are gates in Prontera."

They returned to the Chivalry to discover that the knights working on the archway in the Information Department had finished while they were away, and now they wanted some help on moving the massive structure. Blizzardriss and Ishalis gladly went to help.

Once the archways were in place and concealed with their heavy blue covers, it was time to put up bunting all over the city. This time the Welfare Department came to inform the knights of the plans.

"Could I ask something, Valkron?" asked Iruna.

"You just did."

She playfully jabbed him on the shoulder. "Very funny. Can you explain to me about the Chivalry's functions? Both as a military body and a city planner?"

Valkron raised an eyebrow. "You're talking about the two branches of the Chivalry?"

"There are two branches?"

"The Welfare and Information Departments are two examples of what you can find in the Internal Affairs Branch. The Mercenary Department, of which the Mercenary Knights' Battalion is part of, belongs to the External Affairs Branch. Some of the departments here are branch-shared - that means that they serve both branches, such as the Security, Trade and Finance Departments. That's why, regardless of what branch the department belongs to, when we state a department name we also have to state whether it's the City Division or the Military Division."

"Am I right in saying that the Welfare and Information Departments are closely linked to the Prontera Tourism Office?" asked Emeth, who was listening as well.

"Not closely linked as such, but they do maintain a connection."

"And there are more subdivisions within each department?" asked Iruna.

"Yes."

"It sounds a lot of trouble for people to go through just to name places in the Chivalry," remarked Khan, who had heard the conversation and joined the little group earlier on. "Why isn't there an Information Department for the External Affairs section? And you could just say something like 'Mercenary Knights' Battalion, External Affairs Branch'. Saves a lot of time."

"There _is_ an Information Department for the External Affairs, but there's not been a massive war on. That's why you haven't heard about them in a long while. As for the branch names, they're not really in use any longer," admitted the knight. "The reason is that the departments are becoming almost united these days. We're taking on a multi-disciplinary team approach here - a situation could involve almost half the Chivalry from different departments. The branch names are just there to look good, I think, but they're not even up on the walls anymore."

"That, or someone melted down the lead that formed the words," said Amaru, who was calmly smoking next to Khan.

As everyone gave him a look, Devar came up to them. "Valkron, we need your guild's help again."

"What's up?"

"The Welfare Department plans to place bunting in the highest places of the city. You know, since this is the one thousand and five hundredth anniversary," he added, seeing Valkron's expression. "We can't reach that high - unless we can fly, which I heavily doubt."

"Yes, it would be really surprising to see a knight fly," remarked the knight commander dryly. He turned to his guild. "Anyone can help?"

"Hey! I can! I can!"

Everyone looked around for the source of the shout, which didn't take them very long. For one thing, Nocturne was leaping up and down with his hand in the air.

"How can you do it?" asked Valkron, somewhat mystified. "I was thinking we could use Blizzardriss again, but..."

"He doesn't mind helping," Emeth told him. "But sticking bunting's not as simple as lifting an archway."

"Ever wondered about how the best hunters train, Valkron?" asked Kushana.

"Not really."

"We run up trees to the top and climb rocks. The more adventurous ones go for the mountains and cliffs in Mjollnir and the trees in Umbala."

"Are you human or what?" asked Valkron, staring at her. "Mjollnir cliffs are a stark one thousand feet in average height! And Umbalan trees are well over fifty feet high!"

She laughed. "Oh, we are. We just like it when it gets exciting. Shen, you've been trained as a Payonese Royal Guard, haven't you? You must be pretty good running across rooftops as well."

"If there's running across rooftops I could probably help," called out Khan. "I wouldn't mind."

"Where did you find these fellows, Valkron?" asked Devar, who had been listening with his mouth open.

"You know, I haven't got a clue either. I never even knew they went through such rigorous training." Valkron blinked. "All right then."

So it was Shen, Kushana, Nocturne and Khan who went out with the Welfare knights. Valkron would have gone with them, but another problem cropped up.

"We're out of swords," said Devar.

"What do you mean, you're out of swords? This is a bloody Chivalry with an in-built armoury!"

"Yes, I know - but the sheer number of knights attending far outstrips the number of swords we have available."

"What happened to the armoury?" asked Valkron, raising an eyebrow.

Devar sighed, shaking his head. "I really don't have an idea. I hate it when we have to get some official paper signed off by the Resources Department just to take a sword or two from it."

"All knights are given the standard sword and spear, y'know," said Valkron.

"_Ceremonial_ swords, Valkron."

The knight commander buried his face in his hands.

"We've checked the armoury, and what we've found are enough swords available," said Devar, checking his clipboard. "But they're in horrible condition. Rust is the main problem."

"And I don't even know why we have an armoury," said Valkron, still with his face in his hands. "No, wait..." He looked up. "Do you have enough iron to repair them?"

"No, but we can get some on express order from Alberta."

"Get them." Valkron turned around. "Amaru!"

The blacksmith sauntered over, his little cart trundling behind him. "Yes?"

Valkron took the clipboard from Devar. "Can you repair," he glanced at the papers stuck on it, "about three hundred ceremonial swords in two weeks?"

Amaru thought about it, biting on the cigarette in his mouth. Then he said, "Amount of resources supplied and price on offer."

Valkron turned to Devar. "He wants to know how much iron, steel and miscellaneous resources you're bringing in, as well as how much you want to pay him."

"At the moment we've ordered about five thousand crates of iron, one thousand crates of steel, three thousand crates of coal and six thousand crates of miscellaneous resources required," said Devar, who looked as if he was suffering from a head cold by now. "We're willing to pay him sixteen hundred thousand zeny."

When Valkron turned back, Amaru was actually scribbling on a piece of paper with a pencil. After a little while, he said, "Bring in more iron and coal. Steel is easy to make. Resell about half your miscellaneous resources; you have excess and it will go to waste. As for the price...you offer too high. I will take twelve hundred thousand zeny."

"Twelve hundred thousand?" said Devar in shock. He turned to Valkron. "What...I don't get it."

"Amaru doesn't charge much," explained the knight commander. "The reason being is that what you don't pay in cash, you provide him in terms of resources."

"Besides," said the blacksmith, grinning, "you can resell the excess to me at the market price. It will be about three hundred thousand zeny in total, and I will let you sell it to me at four hundred thousand - but I will sell them off to the Blacksmiths' Guild for a two hundred percent profit in bulk, based on your payment of the price after deduction of the resale price. Therefore I will receive a higher price in trading than in you paying me."

"He's good with numbers and trade, you have to admit," said Valkron to Devar, whose jaw was dropping even further.

"Two hundred percent...that means although we deduct four hundred thousand from your wages you still earn the original offer of sixteen hundred thousand after everything's said and done," breathed the open-mouthed knight.

"That depends, really. The price for resources is going up drastically. I can probably get a better profit if the price continues to rise." Amaru put the paper away and tucked the pencil into a pocket. He held out his gloved hand to Devar. "Do we have an agreed deal?"

Devar took his hand. "You bet," he said, shaking it firmly. "But you know we need the best quality--"

"Leave everything to me," said the blacksmith. He walked off with his cart, leaving Devar to stare at him and Valkron to watch him go.

"Trust him," said Valkron, seeing Devar's face. "He's the man who repaired my sword after it shattered during the Dark Portal, and upgraded the strength to eight without breaking it."

"But his accepted payment..."

"Amaru doesn't look for money. The thing he loves most about blacksmithing is the actual work itself. As long as you can give it to him, he'll be happy." Valkron smiled. "That's one thing about my guild I know. They love their work more than they love the material rewards they get."

"I can't repay you for this, Valkron," said the other knight, looking at him. "First you save us all during the Dark Portal, and then you save our necks with your guild."

"No need to repay me," replied the knight commander. "I get my satisfaction from the fact that I see people smiling because we help them. As I've said before - I work for the world."

Devar shook his head. "Looks like I need to brush up. I didn't know half of what he said he could do, and I certainly can't calculate profits that fast."

Valkron stared at him for a long time.

Knights around the hall looked up as the white-haired knight burst out laughing. "I forgot!" he exclaimed, as Devar looked embarrassed. "You're the head of the Trade Department!"

* * *

While the Raulus busied themselves around Prontera, the Black Cross was silent.

David had been sitting for five hours straight in the library. For some reason he felt sickened and depressed. After Kuroihi and Naobi had left, he felt as if something had left him as well - something that had gone with them.

On the opposite side of the room, Reita watched him. She knew he missed the other two terribly. True, sometimes Kuroihi's know-it-all attitude and Naobi's stand-offishness put him off, but when all was said and done they were always friends - even Naobi.

The place was silent without them.

Finally David got to his feet. Reita watched him worriedly.

"I'm just going to ignore that they aren't here," he said to her. "I can't sit around like this forever."

"I'm glad you realised that," she said. "Where are you going now?"

"Out to the gardens. A walk might do me good."

The dancer rose from her seat. "I'll come with you."

David leaned forward and took her hand. She was surprised, but she didn't show it. Together they walked out into Gondul's gardens.

Spring was slowly giving way to summer now. Although the flowers were somewhat wilting in the rising heat, the bees still visited them furiously, buzzing everywhere as they worked away. Some of them flew off as the couple strode through the gardens, gazing around them.

Reita stopped walking; David stopped with her. They looked down at the rose bush that Vineis had grown for Alya.

"I feel something is going to go wrong," said the dancer softly.

"What do you mean?"

Reita looked up into his face, and saw the alarm in his eyes. "I don't know," she admitted. "I just feel that something's going to go wrong."

David said nothing, but he still looked troubled. Reita leaned against him.

"Why don't we go back to Rothenburg, David?" she asked. "We don't belong here. No one needs us anymore."

"Don't say that," he said sharply. "Vineis still needs us."

"He has Alya. Sedir, Lucius...they're here, too. They can protect Alya and Vineis from Sheuth, can't they?"

David stayed silent for a long time. Reita was thinking that he did not want to speak when he said, "There's something about the rogue I can't place, but I have a feeling that Lucius and Sedir have no power to stop him."

"You can't say that!" she exclaimed in shock. "Lucius is Vineis' personal bodyguard! And Sedir--"

"Sedir doesn't side anyone!" David turned on her. "Didn't you know that? He protects Vineis - and only Vineis! The wizard took him in because no one accepted him for the magic he utilised! That priest doesn't give a damn about anything else apart from Vineis, Reita!"

"How do you know?" demanded the dancer.

"Because it's obvious. Have you ever seen him stand up for others? of course, you can't go against a signed order from Vineis, but Lucius at least defends others and believes in us! Sedir is just there because Vineis told him to help Lucius!" David looked away. "It's just the three of us - and I don't think we can stop Sheuth."

"The odd thing is that although Lucius suspects Sheuth, we can't actually accuse him of anything," she said thoughtfully. "Where's the proof that he's working behind the lines? How do we know what he's plotting? He doesn't have ulterior motives, does he?"

"Who knows? He could be behind the expulsion order for the five of them."

"How so? Vineis is the only person who has the authority to expel any member of the senior circle. Even if Sheuth makes it up, it's not official unless Vineis confirms it. You know that a signed order of expulsion is the official document for us to confirm the forced leave of a member of the guild. We can't force someone of the senior circle to leave, that's Vineis' job!"

"What if he brainwashed Vineis?" countered David. "Or blackmailed him?"

Reita mouthed wordlessly at him. Then she said, "Blackmail? Sheuth - blackmail? That doesn't make a connection."

"It does. He's a rogue, after all."

"What is there to blackmail Vineis, David? The wizard's got nothing against him. The Guild Liaison Office wouldn't have let him become a guild leader if he had something incriminating that could be used against him in any way."

"Sheuth might have threatened to spread a rumour that the Black Cross just wants to be the King's guild that serves every purpose of the kingdom's protection," said David.

"Vineis is an honest man, David. He has nothing to hide from the Prontera Press. Even if that rumour was spread, the Prontera Press would get the correct answer - and everyone knows Vineis tells the truth."

"So you're saying that Sheuth isn't plotting anything?"

For the second time Reita mouthed at him, too aghast to speak. Then she said, "I'm not saying that Sheuth is innocent, but I think that it's useless to go after him. Vineis wouldn't allow it."

"Vineis trusts that man too much!"

The shout echoed around the gardens. Birds flew off in a panic; Reita looked around frantically at the walls of Gondul.

"Shh! Don't shout!" She grabbed him and dragged him off into a secluded corner of the gardens, where a graceful weeping willow shadowed a bench and a calm pond at its roots. They stood there and waited until the echoes faded away.

"You shouldn't yell like that, David," she said angrily. "Who knows who could be listening? Do you want to get into trouble?"

The blacksmith turned away from her. "That's up to you to say."

"But you know I'm right!" She went to stand in front of David. "I'm not saying that we should give up, but...it's not like we can do anything in this moment in time. Vineis can survive, I know it. Please, David. Think rationally."

She did not wait for David's reply, but she went straight on. "Vineis would never allow his own guild to fall. He is strong enough. Alya's support has changed him from the ambitious leader we knew to someone who believes in more than just power. He's learned more than we can teach him, and I know he will protect Alya with his life. We don't have any purpose here now, except defend the remaining agits from the Black Cross. That's what we'll do, will we?"

The blacksmith stayed silent. Reita grabbed his arms and shook him. "Will we?" she demanded.

"No!"

The calm surface of the pond under the willow rippled. Reita swayed, stunned. "Why?" she whispered.

"Valkron can have Rothenburg." David looked at her. "It's true that we can't do anything for Vineis now, but Valkron can. He knows what's happening in our guild."

"David! How can you side Valkron?"

"I'm not siding him! That old knight's the last thing I ever want to see in my life!" David took a deep breath. "But if we need people to protect Vineis, it's him. I hate to admit it, but it's the truth. And you know I don't shun the truth."

"But, David--"

"That's final! If Rothenburg is not under Valkron by the week after Prontera Foundation Day, I will surrender it to him myself! I swear on that, and I'll resign from the guild if I break my promise due to unforeseen circumstances!"

Reita started to reach out, but David whirled around and was already striding through the gardens when she came to her senses. She watched him go, upset and knowing that whatever he had said, he had given up the battle.

She did not see a curtain twitch, high up on the nearest tower of Gondul.

* * *

The sun was setting when the Raulus guild finally left the Chivalry, tired but satisfied with their work. The city looked as if it was ready for the big day itself; even now the residents of Prontera were coming out to have a look at the new changes in the city.

"I'll come back late, Iruna," Valkron said to her, as she hung back for him. "I have to help move the desks back to their proper places in the Information and Mercenaries Departments, so that we can resume work tomorrow without fail."

"Busy, busy, busy," she said, smiling. "You'll become like Emeth one day."

"What is it with Valkron and me these days..." grumbled the wizard, as he passed them. Valkron laughed.

"I'll be back, don't worry," he said. He kissed her on the cheek. "Just don't stay up late to wait, all right?"

"Excuse me! _You_ waited for me!"

"Women are different," remarked the knight, grinning.

Iruna raised a sceptic eyebrow. "Was that really from you, or was that from a lecture on women from Emeth?"

"Nope, that's his genuine statement," said Emeth, who was still listening to them. "I never said that. Well, I do agree that women are different, but I'd rather not bring attention to that fact when I'm around women."

"It's just the way he says it," remarked Samaroh, who had paused in heading towards the gate. "You can never get angry with him, do you ever notice?"

"All right, you guys can jolly well go back to Repherion now," Valkron cut in. "Come on, shoo. Go. It's getting late."

"Are you saying that because Devar's behind you watching with an amused look on his face?" asked Iruna shrewdly.

"You too, Iruna." Valkron gave her a look. "Don't object."

She laughed. "Hah, I knew it. Well then, I'll see you in Repherion, Valkron. Don't break your promise with me."

"I won't," he assured her.

The two knights watched the group leave for the Kafra at the Western Gate. Eventually Devar said, "You have a good guild, Valkron."

"I know," said the knight commander.

"They're always behind you and helping you out even though you never ask for aid. And although they fool around with you they keep their promises." Devar shook his head. "I never imagined I'd see you come out with a guild like that."

"What, you were expecting me to reproduce copies of my grumpy old self? Nah. I'll pass."

Devar chuckled. "Shows that you've got a side we don't know, hm?"

"Everyone has to have their secrets, Devar." Valkron turned around. "Let's go, before the others give us a good telling off for not helping out. I'd like to save my face."

"Yeah, yeah, you always say that."

The two knights disappeared into the Chivalry, their voices fading away into the darkness.

* * *

That night, David, Sedir, Reita and Lucius were relaxing in the senior circle common room. The place was silent as usual. Five chairs remained empty; Reita noticed that her boyfriend had deliberately turned his face away from them.

In the hush, the sound of the door opening was louder than usual. Sheuth slipped in without a sound and shut the door. No one looked up as he walked into the room.

"Sorry for disturbing you," he said softly, "but I would like to see David."

"What is it now?" said the blacksmith, not looking at him.

Sheuth cleared his throat and pulled out a piece of paper from a pocket. "Vineis has signed an order of expulsion for--"

"NO!"

The rogue looked at Reita, startled. She had leapt out of her chair at the mention of the word 'expulsion'.

"What's he done this time?" she demanded. "David hasn't lost an agit to the Raulus, has he?"

"Well, no," said the rogue, still slightly startled. "But Vineis is charging him for treachery towards the guild. I believe he heard that David swore that he would 'surrender Rothenburg to Valkron'."

David looked up, his face in shock. Lucius rose from his seat, an expression of horror etched on his face.

"David," he said, "what have you done?"

Sheuth looked at the blacksmith. "Do you deny this?"

The blacksmith did not answer. The corners of the rogue's lips curled upwards.

"I see," he said. "So Vineis was justified in his reason for the order after all. I admit - I was a little worried."

"Those orders aren't genuine, aren't they?" demanded Reita. "First the five of them, and now David? If Vineis wants to kick out David, then I'm going with him as well! You tell Vineis that!"

"Reita!" exclaimed David. "How can you say that? Your name wasn't in the order, so don't come with me!"

"I don't care!" snapped the dancer. "I'm not going anywhere without you!"

Sheuth looked at the piece of paper. "Well, Vineis also said that if Reita wished to leave with David, he would allow it. However, you," he looked directly at the dancer, "will no longer be able to step into the Valkyrie Realms, whatever the situation. It's written here - don't give me that look."

"Oh, really? Do I believe that Vineis wrote them of his own will?" Reita's eyes narrowed. "I smell a tarou here! You forced him to write that, didn't you? Threatened him?"

Sheuth closed his eyes and smiled. "Reita, I don't do that. I've told you before - I have no intention of hurting Vineis at all. He really did write this of his own will. See, his signature's on it. That's his handwriting."

"And why wouldn't you hurt Vineis?"

"Because I understand him," the rogue said simply. "We have been together since young. Vineis decided that he wanted to repay me, so he placed me in this position. Whatever he does, I have to follow. It's not like I do things I like."

"Well, it seems like that to me," said Reita. "Why isn't he here to personally tell us?"

Sheuth sighed. "He's with Alya once again, in Prontera. I'm not lying - you know he's been coming and going these days."

"And what makes me believe you're not the one forging his signature and his handwriting?"

"Do I look like I'd forge my own guild leader's signature?" Sheuth looked shocked. "Besides, everyone knows I write horribly. Every one of you has told me my handwriting looks like long grass. That's a big difference between Vineis' handwriting and mine."

"Reita," said Lucius, putting a hand on her shoulder, "I'm sure Sheuth is telling the truth. Either way, just make up your mind. Do you want to stay or not?"

Reita turned to tell him off, and then saw the look in his eyes. The assassin was serious - it was up to her to decide, and she could not protest.

"Reita," said David, "stay. Please. I'll be fine; the Black Cross still needs you--"

"I'm sure she can make up her own mind, David," said Sheuth, eyeing Reita. The blacksmith immediately fell silent, but his eyes were on his girlfriend.

There was no sound in the room. Everyone's eyes were on Reita as she stared at the rich carpet under her slippers. In the light of the oil lamps around them, her jewellery glittered and twinkled. It was so quiet her short, sharp, anxious breathing could be heard.

Finally she lifted her head. "I'm leaving with David."

The blacksmith groaned and buried his face in his hands. Sheuth shrugged. "That's your decision? Sure you don't want to rethink it?"

Reita looked at her boyfriend, and then back at Sheuth. She nodded.

"So that's two more gone," said the rogue, scribbling something in pencil on another piece of paper he fished out from his pocket. "Looks like we need to look for replacements now..."

When Sheuth had gone David grabbed Reita by the shoulders. "What do you think you're doing?" he said, in a low voice more terrible than his usual loud tone. "The Black Cross needs you. Why are you coming with me?"

"Because...because..." She looked up at him, her eyes filling with tears. "...I want to be with you."

As David gaped at her, Lucius sighed. "Look, both of you are not really making things any better."

"You're not helping either, Lucius," said Reita, wiping her tears away.

"You know I cannot go against Vineis." The assassin looked troubled. "Now it is just Sedir and me left."

"Count me out," said the priest, looking up from his brown book, in which he had been writing the whole time. "I'm just here because Vineis told me to be here."

"Lucius," said Reita, her voice trembling, "please don't give up. Vineis needs you. Don't abandon him, I beg you--"

"There is no need to plead," said the assassin, taking her hands in his. "I will stay loyal to Vineis whatever happens, even if it costs my life. I am indebted to him - even if he does not want me to pay him back. I will do what I can for him. I promise this, Reita, David."

He stood back. "Now, go. It would not be good for Vineis to find you still lingering in Gondul. Rest assured - I will defend Vineis with my life." He bowed deeply to them.

David took Reita's hand. "Thank you, Lucius," he said softly. "We won't forget you. Thank you."

When they had left Lucius returned to his seat. One thought was running through his mind, and only one.

_David swore to give Rothenburg to Valkron. Vineis expelled David before he could do that? Either Sheuth is telling the truth, or Vineis is doing some very untrustworthy eavesdropping on us._

_Which is the possibility now?_

* * *

I'm still pretty much referenceless, so the forging materials bit was all estimation. It may be wrong.

As for Amaru's speech, just in case you don't understand, he asks for 1,200,000 zeny as payment from the Chivalry instead of the original 1,600,000; 400,000 goes to buying the excess raw materials (the Chivalry earns 100,000 in profit), so he only earns 800,000. However, his plan is to resell that 400,000 of materials to the Blacksmiths' Guild - his estimation is that he will receive another 800,000 as profit in return, assuming the price of the materials _does not rise_. If it does, he earns more. Simple. If the price does not rise, he will have in total 1,600,000 - the original offer the Chivalry made to him.

Now, _that_ bit was actual mathematics.

note: I realise there are no actual RATS in Prontera - it's just tarous. So, as I've done with the 'till the pecos (cows) come home', I've had to do the 'I smell a tarou (rat) here'.


	65. Memories of Death

Chapter 65**  
Memories of Death**

The Raulus was kept busy working in Prontera until Prontera Foundation Day itself. They were not alone, however - all King's Mercenary guilds were asked to join in, shortly after the Raulus began to help the Chivalry.

Because Prontera became more crowded with mercenaries, the residents stayed in. Apart from the Kafras and the craftsmen for the different equipment the mercenaries needed, there were no civilians on the streets during the day.

Most of the knights - usually the newcomers, the rookies and those who didn't work in the Mercenary Department - assumed that this was because it would be considered overcrowding, and Pronterans liked their personal space. This was not true, however - only the mercenaries knew why and they weren't telling unless anyone bothered to ask, which wasn't often.

The only person who did not know anything of this was Aramithar. Since this was the golden-haired, blue-eyed alchemist who noticed that the mercenaries knew the truth, he went and very politely bothered Valkron until the knight gave up.

"It all comes down to the Battle of Al'Zahur," he said, as Aramithar watched him copy down measurements for carpeting.

"That's it? Nothing else?"

"Nope."

"I know mercenaries divided into two sides and fought each other then, but I didn't know the conflict could run this long," said the alchemist carefully.

"Well, the mercenaries in the kingdom are usually the old ones, because the old ones always survive," replied Valkron. "And the old ones remember a lot. The newcomers don't really see what's the big deal with the battle, since it was ten years ago, but the old ones can't let it go."

"You're one of the old ones."

"Do I look like I have a grudge against the people I fought against? You're shaking your head. Good." Valkron ripped the paper off his notepad and gave it to the purple-haired Nadir, who was waiting patiently for him. "Give that to Enriel as soon as possible, no delays."

"How about the pricing for the roses and the other decorations?"

"They're coming, they're coming. I've got Albrecht on special order to get them, 'kay? If Enriel wants it tell him to wait a few more hours."

"But you're not...exactly very happy towards the other mercenaries, either," said Aramithar, as Nadir ran off.

"Well, no." Valkron turned to a new page in the notebook he was carrying and pulled out another file from the rack in front of him. "But they walk the same streets as I do, and they go to the same places as I do. So why make a fuss about it?"

"The others do."

"What they think," said the knight, a little sharply, "is none of my business."

Aramithar inclined his head. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it. Now, will you just go off and help the Geffen wizards with the fireworks? I hear they need more explosive powder, whatever it is. Stop bothering me, I've got enough work as it is and I'm starting to think I need a couple of extra arms."

Although Valkron had a tendency to exaggerate when he was being sarcastic, no one could counter his statement. This time, it really did look as if a large number of people needed a few extra arms. The Raulus observed, after Prontera Foundation Day, that most of the knights became temporarily ambidextrous - this was shown in the fact that for several days afterwards they could write equally well with both hands, which they had to because of the large number of things they had to write down at the same time.

This included Valkron.

"I warn you, Emeth," he said, aiming the tip of his sword at Emeth's nose, "if you snigger any longer when watching me write out two entirely different lists at the same time with pencils in both my hands, I will cut off your nose. Either watch and shut up, or don't watch at all."

"Okay, okay," said the wizard, holding up his hands as if to surrender while leaning away from the tip of the sword.

Valkron sheathed his sword. "It's been a long time since I threatened you with my sword."

"What, like you did before the Dark Portal? Yeah." Emeth lowered his hands. "Sometimes it feels good. Keeps me on my toes."

"Do you want a regular threatening every day, then?"

"I'll pass."

On the days running up to Prontera Foundation Day, things got busier and busier. About two days before the celebrations Valkron found out that Emeth had been assigned to patrol the streets with him in the middle of the celebratory week.

"Are you going to ask me to explain how I got saddled with you?" asked the wizard apprehensively, when Valkron confronted him about it. "Because I had absolutely no idea--"

"Oh, I know why."

It was Emeth's turn to stare. "What?"

"Raven," Valkron said simply. "Remember the day there was the officer for the volunteer patrol recruitment? He was passing the Brotherhood before he came to the Chivalry. By default knights go for the patrols, so we just fix the day with the officer. Raven asked me what day I wanted to go along."

"So _that_ was why he asked me if I wanted to volunteer," said Emeth, looking completely disgruntled. "I didn't actually expect him to take things so seriously."

By the time it was the day before the celebration, the Chivalry was full of activity. No one stopped moving for a long time - there was so much to do that everyone had to be involved.

In the evening, Valkron was confirming the positions the military-based knights had to take up during the ceremony in the Information Department when Erika approached him. She was a sweet young woman with a distinctive heart-shaped hairpin holding the fringe of her cropped brown hair, and was Enriel's girlfriend of two years.

"Valkron," she said, "I think you should rest."

"Hang on," said the white-haired knight, slightly muffled because he was gripping a piece of paper between his teeth. "I'll be with you in a minute."

Erika waited until he was finished, and then continued, "You've worked for so long that you should go home early. Iruna's waiting for you, you know."

"Is it me, or do all women congregate behind men's backs to talk about their husbands?" asked Valkron, somewhat irritably. "I still have work to do."

"You've been here for forty eight hours straight, and only managed to snatch twenty minutes of sleep at Enriel's desk," she pointed out. "That's a bit over the edge, Valkron. Why don't you leave it to us? You're not the only one here."

Valkron opened his mouth. He closed his mouth.

"Go on." She pushed him. "Even Enriel's gone back to the barracks. You go, too. The night shift's coming in soon. It's not like we don't need you - you've done enough. You're old. I know it doesn't give you an excuse to not work, but you should take care of yourself as well."

"Okay, okay, you win," said Valkron. "I'll go."

She smiled. "Thank you."

Valkron made his way along the streets to the Western Gate, thinking of nothing but the brightness of the sky during spring. It was almost six in the evening, but it looked as if it was three in the afternoon.

He was just about to reach the Kafra when the clocks in Prontera struck the hour. He did not hear the chimes, because there was one sound that conquered them all - the sound of the Prontera Church bells.

He stood in the middle of the street, looking towards it. If he wasn't wrong, Samaroh was busy with the choir of the Church. They were going to sing for the audience at the ceremony the next day, so he would be rehearsing with them.

After thinking a little longer, he changed his mind and headed for the Church.

* * *

The great door of the Church was wide open, as it always was until nine at night. Valkron walked through it, feeling the peaceful hush of the Church wash over him. However, he did not want to waste his time.

"Excuse me," he asked an acolyte nearby. "Is Father Samaroh busy?"

The acolyte, with golden hair clinging close to his head and a small biretta perched on top, pointed at the altar ahead.

Valkron turned - and wondered why he had not seen the priest when he had entered the Church. The altar directly faced the door. On one knee, head bowed and sitting still, was Samaroh deep in prayer.

"Oh," he said. "Thank you."

The acolyte nodded. "God be with you," he said quietly, and disappeared into the shadows.

Valkron chose one of the pews near the door of the Church. He had no wish to disturb Samaroh, and he could wait.

The chiming of the bells somewhere above faded away, to be replaced by the hush in the Church. Valkron closed his eyes and leaned back. The hectic rush of blood in his veins was slowing down, and he could feel himself relaxing. He recalled that it had been a long time since he'd visited a church for the purpose of relaxation.

People often wondered why Valkron liked to visit churches. The knight had no discernible faith in any god as far as anyone could tell, mainly because being on the frontlines and watching comrades die in front of him had put him off religion. The reason, he explained, was that the calm and peace in a church eased him, and he preferred silence.

After a while, Samaroh got to his feet and dusted his robes with his cap. He bowed, very slightly, to the altar before he turned around and headed down the aisle. It didn't take him very long to catch sight of Valkron. He paused in his walk, and then went over to the pew the knight had settled down in.

"Never thought I'd see you in a church looking so peaceful," he said in a low voice, as he sat down next to Valkron.

"I like it," answered the knight.

Samaroh chuckled. "Can't blame you. Mind if I join you?"

"Nope."

The two men sat together - one with his head back and eyes closed, the other gazing at the altar. For some time they were this way, before Samaroh looked behind him. "Eh?"

"What?" said Valkron.

"There's some sort of commotion on the steps," said the priest. "I'm going to check it out."

There was a rustle as Samaroh got to his feet. Valkron opened his eyes to see the priest fit his cap onto his head and walk out. After a few minutes the knight decided to see, too.

Outside, Samaroh found a group of embarrassed-looking acolytes standing around a small girl. She was crying.

"What's going on?" he asked the young acolytes.

"Um...she's lost her mother," said one of them. "We didn't know where to take her, so we brought her here. But she doesn't want to go in."

"You're not going to force her, are you?" asked Samaroh. "No? Good." He turned around, where Valkron and the golden-haired acolyte were standing at the top of the stairs. "Aragan?"

"Yes?" asked the acolyte beside Valkron.

"Could you come down here and take care of her? I'll go and look for her mother." He turned to the little girl and knelt down so that his face was on the same level as hers. "Shh, stop crying. You've lost your mother?"

The little girl nodded, wiping her eyes.

"Where?"

She pointed towards Prontera Plaza, where a small bazaar had been set up. Samaroh looked where she pointed, and then turned back to her to ask, "What's she wearing? Anything that's different from others."

"Blue bag," said the girl.

Samaroh got to his feet. "I'll find her. You all," he addressed the acolytes around her, "are from choir practice, right?"

"Um...yeah," said another acolyte.

"Go home and save your voices for tomorrow. You're not my batch, but any singing teacher will tell you the same thing. Go. Shoo. I've got Aragan keeping an eye on her, so you don't have to worry."

As the acolytes scuttled off, Samaroh walked off into the crowd. The Prontera residents had turned out to see what had happened of their city, and it was easy for a child to lose its way.

He returned in ten minutes, trailed by a young woman holding a bright blue bag. When she saw her child, she gave an ear-splitting shriek that made Samaroh jump, and rushed forward. Aragan got out of the way before her child disappeared into her arms.

"Thank God!" she sobbed, hugging the little girl. "Thank you so much, father!"

"You're welcome," replied Samaroh, digging his ear gingerly. He looked up at the top of the steps leading into the Church, where Valkron was still standing. The knight was still gazing at the scene.

"How can I repay you?" she asked Samaroh tearfully.

"There is no need to repay me," replied the priest honestly. "If you want to thank someone, thank God for helping us. It is by His guidance that we found your daughter, and returned her to you. We are just his servants."

The woman nodded, and left, little girl in tow. Samaroh raised his eyebrows at Aragan, who simply shrugged. There really wasn't anything to say in this sort of situation, after all.

"Right, I've got to go back up," said the priest. "Is it fine with you to stay overnight in the Church, Aragan?"

"I'm fine with it," replied the acolyte. "At least I can make sure everything is ready early tomorrow."

"Thanks." Samaroh looked back up the steps, ready to wave at Valkron.

But he was not there.

The priest raised an eyebrow, and climbed back up to the doors. In the semi-darkness of the Church, all he could see of Valkron was a dim white head sitting amongst the pews.

He went back to the pew he had just sat with Valkron. The knight was indeed there, but somehow his face was turned slightly away from Samaroh. All that could be seen of his face was his nose, his lips and his hair.

The priest sat down with a flump. "All in a day's work, hm?" he said.

Valkron did not answer.

"I wonder why the Chivalry knights didn't find her," Samaroh mused aloud. "I thought they'd be familiar with these cases...well, not that I'm complaining. If the knights aren't available we'll help out willingly."

He looked at Valkron. "Haven't you ever had to help someone find their mother or father in a crowd, Valkron? I'm sure you have, being a knight and all--"

"Shut up."

Samaroh stared in shock at the knight. The older man had not moved in his seat; he was still in his same position. But what made the priest decide not to press on had been the knight's voice. His tone had suggested that if Samaroh had gone on he was due a kicking in the head.

"All right," said Samaroh.

* * *

Prontera Foundation Day arrived with much pompous fanfare. It was a kingdom-wide holiday, so shops and stalls closed. More than half of the entire population of the kingdom gathered in Prontera, along with hundreds of dignitaries, ambassadors, emissaries and tourists.

Emeth and Iruna were amongst the crowd, close to the red carpet that had been laid out. Golden ropes separated the carpet from the crowd, while Prontera guards stood in between. The velvet carpet ran all the way from Prontera Castle to an obelisk standing near the heart of the city. Earlier that day the wizards of Geffen had pulled down - more like yanked, Valkron remarked later - the cloths covering the archways. There had been a collective gasp from the crowd as the rays of the early morning sun had hit the wooden structures - the knights had done a good job on them.

Now they were waiting. As Valkron had said, he was part of the guard of honour as a senior knight commander. Iruna was keen to see him behave like a true knight, and Emeth was there to tell her what was going on, just in case she couldn't see. They had dragged the wizard along, but he hadn't complained.

The air was full of excited buzzing as the various members of the crowd talked amongst themselves in anticipation of the event. Spring was now giving way to summer; the weather was getting hotter, but this was an event worth seeing.

There had been seats prepared for the guests, inside a large stall. This had been placed in front of the obelisk, around the base of which red, white and blue roses had been laid out. Right in front of the obelisk was a grand chair almost similar to a throne. The red carpet finished right up to it.

The excited talk swiftly faded away when the representatives from the Kingdom's Musicians raised their trumpets. The fanfare that followed echoed loudly in the silent city. Iruna craned her neck; Emeth patted her on the shoulder to remind her that he was there.

A few minutes later, there was the sound of taloned feet thudding on the ground. Everyone could feel the tremors in the cobbles under their feet as thirty pecos made their way along the gap between the ropes and the carpet - fifteen pecos on one side, fifteen on the other. Every knight that rode upon the back of each peco was sitting upright and looking straight ahead. Iruna had no difficulty seeing them, since they were high above everyone's heads.

Valkron was amongst them. Emeth said later on - with as much indignation as he could muster - that the knight had caught sight of him, and refused to look at him again. Valkron had told him off and replied that he had not looked at the wizard again because a) he had to look ahead all the time, and b) the sight of Emeth standing one head above the crowd was just too ridiculous.

But for now they watched as all thirty pecos turned, with mechanical precision, altogether to face the carpet. They looked around the long line of waiting knights to see who was in charge of coordinating them - it changed every anniversary, to give every knight a fair chance of experiencing it.

Much to their surprise, it was Valkron.

"Step back!" he commanded. All thirty pecos moved backwards by one small step.

Then there was another fanfare, skilfully blown without hesitation. Valkron's voice cut through the air without giving the sound time to fade away.

"Draw your swords!"

In one movement that had the crowd gasp in awe, the knights swiftly drew their swords. They held the weapons blade upwards next to them, awaiting the next order - which Valkron promptly gave.

"Raise!"

There was a combined jingle of chainmail as all of them raised their swords into the air.

"Tilt!"

The swords tilted until they were at an angle from the ground, forming an arch that led all the way to the obelisk. Light flashed along the metal, and then there was silence.

The third fanfare ended when the doors of Prontera Castle opened with a grinding sound. From within it emerged a long row of Prontera guards in ceremonial uniform, marching with precision. After them came the king, holding his sceptre upright and one foot off the ground. Behind him were less Prontera guards, but there was a reason for this - the head of the Chivalry himself, the Knight Grand Commander, was directly behind the king on a peco bearing gold adornments.

Immediately Valkron bellowed, "Heads turn!"

As one, the knights turned their heads to face the king. When he passed, their heads moved together with him - as if to keep an eye on him. Only when the Prontera guards had quickly dispersed into the crowd and the king reach his seat did Valkron shout, "Salute!"

The knights sheathed their swords and thumped their clenched fists on their hearts. The king nodded, and the Knight Grand Commander turned away to join one of the lines of pecos.

Iruna didn't bother listening to the king. She never did. Instead, she observed Valkron, marvelling at how his armour shone under the sun, how he maintained his straight-backed, fierce posture throughout the speech, and how he could actually stand the heat as the sun beat down on him.

_If any woman has an image of a knight in shining armour, high chances are it's possible the image is similar to him_, she thought, smiling a little. _Any young boy would want to become a knight just by watching him today._

Finally King Tristan III rose from his seat, somewhat laboriously. Immediately Enriel came forward, bearing in his hands a ceremonial sword with a ribbon tied to the hilt. He went down on one knee in front of the king and offered the sword to him. The king accepted it; as Enriel backed away respectfully the king held it up to the sunlight and let the light play along the blade.

"For the week beginning today, we will celebrate the founding fathers of our capital city, and remember that the entire kingdom would not have come into existence without them!"

He held the sword high. As the crowd clapped, he brought the blade down onto the long ribbon that separated the seats of the nobility from the monument.

The metal sliced cleanly through the ribbon. As the satin ends fell, shimmering in the sun, the king came forward, laid the sword at the base of the obelisk and took the bouquet of red, white and blue roses from Enriel. He laid it reverentially on the sword.

The crowd and the nobility clapped, as the king returned to the castle and Valkron reversed the process. Only when the doors slammed shut did the knights leave their positions, and the Prontera guards removed the ropes to enable the residents to pay their respects.

"I never want to do this again," Valkron croaked, after dismounting from his peco. "My throat feels like it's on fire."

"Well, we're certainly proud we witnessed you actually doing it," said Emeth, watching as Iruna healed his throat. "Come on, let's go back. You must be tired."

"Actually, I'm not," replied the knight. "That was all we really had to do for today. And I notice half the guild is here working at their respective tasks for today, so I don't think I want to return to an empty castle."

"True," agreed the wizard.

"Both of you can take a walk in the forests north of Prontera," Iruna suggested. "I hear it's a nice place to stroll about in at this time of the year."

"What about you?"

"I'm going back to Repherion. You're not tired, but I am." She smiled wanly at the two. "Go on."

"We'll come back with you," said Valkron. "I can take a break with Emeth once our patrol on Woden's Day is over."

"And it's not gentlemanly to let a woman return home all on her own," Emeth remarked. "Not especially when she's accompanied by two capable men."

"Ex_cuse_ me, are you implying that I can't take care of myself?" asked Iruna shrewdly.

"No, he's just being a ladies' man again. _Admit it_, Emeth." Valkron rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Come on, let's go home."

--

Because the entire kingdom was celebrating Prontera Foundation Day, no one was at work. It was the only week in the year to be completely work-free, and therefore everyone grabbed the opportunity to go home and see their families and friends.

"Repherion is empty again," remarked Valkron as he entered the meeting room. Everybody who was part of the senior commanders had congregated in there to spend their free time.

"Well, at least it's for a good reason," Emeth pointed out. "Hey, today's Woden's Day."

"I know, that's why I'm here. I've come to get you."

"Ah."

Iruna waved at them. "See you two later. Have a good day."

The two men left and went to Hlin, who was waiting as patiently as ever on the first floor. She bowed deeply to them as they approached.

"Not taking a day off, Hlin?" Valkron asked the purple-haired Kafra.

"Kafras don't take time off during this week, sir," she replied. "It's afterwards, when we do get some time to relax."

"Remind me to give you a break," he said. "You've worked hard throughout the year. It's time you had a rest from us bothering you every minute."

"Oh, I don't mind, sir," she said, winking at him. "Kafras are trained to be up and about at any time of the day and year. After all, we are with you wherever you go."

The whirling white light of the portal hid her from sight. Valkron and Emeth did not move until it had faded away. The din of the crowd in Prontera was a shock compared to the silence of Repherion.

"Shall we move on?" Valkron asked Emeth, after they had stood there for several minutes to orientate themselves.

The wizard nodded. They walked straight into the crowd mingling around the stalls.

Prontera Foundation Day was a time when people from all over the kingdom flooded into the capital to experience the sights and food there. It was a great way to stabilize the economy, according to the Prontera Tourism Office, if this didn't mean that there would also be pickpockets and muggers wandering around looking for potential targets.

At first the Chivalry knights were employed to control the crime rate during the holiday week, but soon it came to light that the knights weren't enough. So for a decent pay according to how many hours was spent in the city, the Prontera Tourism Office (or PTO, as Emeth liked to call it) hired any eager volunteers. The only catch was that if said volunteer fell prey to a pickpocket or mugger, or failed to overpower one if there were any, the pay would not be given.

However, things were different this year.

"Don't tell anyone this, Emeth," said Valkron calmly, as they manoeuvred their way through the crowd. "I got Raven to have several of his men stationed around the city to keep the situation in check."

"But that means we're just earning the wages without doing an ounce of work!"

"Not necessarily. Besides, there are only three volunteers this year - including us."

"What happened to the rest?"

"Either had cold feet, or just didn't want to do such a boring job when they could be off in their hometowns having a feast with their families and friends." Valkron paused at a stall to examine a large shield.

Emeth scratched his head. "It's a good pay, though."

"Sometimes money isn't everything. Anyway, Raven agreed that doing this would keep rogues from messing about and being involved in disapproved activities. That was what he said, by the way - I didn't suggest that to him, and I certainly don't want to know what activities are disapproved by the Brotherhood."

"It's a good argument," Emeth mused as he picked up a book and had a look over it.

The two of them spent quite a peaceful day mingling with the crowd. The rogues later told them that there were no cases of theft for the whole week, which explained why the Office was quite happy to give them fifty thousand zeny each (the actual calculated wage was three thousand). The only part Valkron found irritable was that people kept asking him to have a picture with them.

"You're famous, Valkron," Emeth said, as the knight walked away from an enthusiastic family. "Why are you being so grumpy about it?"

"You know I don't like fame," muttered the knight. "It's just an empty concept that changes its mind practically all the time."

"There are hundreds of knights out there who'd love to be you."

"Look, don't pursue the matter anymore, all right? Are we done yet? We're doing overtime by now."

"So? It's a nice time of the year. Relax, Valkron." Emeth nudged the knight. "Smile a bit more, at least."

Valkron did not answer, but he looked as if he wanted to laugh. The wizard chuckled and glanced at a nearby stall.

"I'm looking for something to buy for Kushana," he said. "She's not too keen on jewellery or anything of the sort, because her job's rough. It's hard finding something she'll like. No, don't help me - I just want to try doing this."

Valkron followed Emeth around for half an hour as the wizard tried to find something. After that, the knight said, "Emeth? Can I make a suggestion?"

"Yes?" He looked up from another stall.

"Buy something you like. No, not books," he added, seeing Emeth raise an eyebrow. "The best gift is usually something you like, and something you think the recipient will like too."

Emeth contemplated this in silence for a while. Then he said, "I think I'll just stick to my original idea."

Valkron sighed. "What is it?"

As an answer the wizard went over to a stall he had visited several minutes ago. Dolls lined the front of it. Valkron raised his eyebrows at this.

A merchant had once thought that selling dolls - toys of soft linen and stuffed with cotton - made in the images of several monsters was a good idea. The interesting thing was that once the idea took off in real life it never touched the ground again. Children loved the soft, limp dolls, with beads for eyes and resembling a smaller, satirical version of the monster they represented. However, these were expensive to make, and therefore expensive to buy. The more powerful the monster they resembled, the rarer and more expensive they were.

Emeth rubbed the tip of his nose thoughtfully. "Kushana thinks that these yoyo dolls are sweet," he said, picking up one. "I'm not too sure if she likes the actual creature itself, since hunters have to stop yoyos from throwing fruit skins at the roof of the Hunters' Guild every now and then, but she did tell me she'd like to have one if she had the money."

"Do _you_ have the money?" asked the knight dryly. "It's quite embarrassing to have no money with you and suggest that to me."

"As a matter of fact, I do," replied Emeth, giving Valkron a dagger look.

"Then go ahead. Who's to stop you from doing it?"

A few minutes later, one small, floppy yoyo doll had been sold. Emeth looked at it and shook his head, smiling as he did so.

"I would have considered buying her a rocker doll, but frankly she hates insects. She has a thing against metallers, really - apart from that, she does appreciate the music they play in the fields." He looked at Valkron. "Don't you think so, Valkron? They're pretty good musicians for insects-- Valkron?"

Valkron appeared to be staring at a floppy, green rocker doll. All that could be seen of his face were his nose and his lips. His hair covered the rest of his face.

After a while, he said, in a strained voice, "Are you intending to go around the city for a while longer?"

"Why not?" replied Emeth. "It's a good day today, and I get the chance to stretch my legs for a bit."

"Then...I'll go home first."

Emeth turned around to face Valkron in surprise. "What? Why?"

"I'm...not in the mood." The knight turned away, still not looking up.

"But, Valkron--"

"I'm not in the mood," he repeated.

Emeth watched him go, too baffled to stop him. He looked down at the little rocker doll sitting innocently on the shelf of the stall. Its little bead eyes gazed blankly up at him.

"What's with a rocker doll and Valkron?" he said to himself. "And what was with that mood change?"

* * *

"Valkron hates rockers?" asked Iruna, lifting an eyebrow.

"It's just a suggestion," said Emeth, shrugging. "Why are you giving me that look?"

"That's got to be one of the most ridiculous suggestions I've ever heard in my life," she said. "How can you be sure? You've got to ask him, not make assumptions just from a few coincidental words."

"What's wrong with it being coincidental? Coincidence has a lot to do with this world!"

"Not in our lives." Iruna sighed. "Look, you know Valkron wants the truth about him out and with us. He'll never go off leaving you thinking like that - well, if you tell him that's what you assume about him."

"I swear that he's got an issue with either rocker dolls or rockers," said the wizard firmly. "If you don't believe me, go and bring him near one. Or get one near him. Either way."

Iruna gave him another look. "You're strange. All right, I will."

She paused. Emeth watched her intently over his cup of tea.

Eventually she said, "You know, I think I can talk to him about this rocker doll matter easily enough. Fine, I'll do what you say. Bit if he speaks up and I find out it's not what you suggested, you're in big trouble with me."

"Hey, hey, Iruna," said the wizard, leaning away from her, "it was just a suggestion. Don't take it too hard. I was just guessing."

"Guesses don't work with Valkron," the crusader remarked sourly. "Get on with your work. I'll get Valkron off his chair. He may not like being interrupted in his work, but I don't care."

Emeth and Kushana watched her walk out of the door. After a while, the wizard said, "More like 'He may not like being interrupted in his work, but it's me who's doing the interrupting'."

As Kushana shook her head in exasperation in the meeting room on the ground floor, Iruna made her way up to the last floor, where she knew Valkron would be doing his administration work in their room. When she knocked on the door and he opened it, she was pleased to know she was right.

"What? You want me to go out now?" he asked, surprised.

"Yeah. I just want to have a walk with you in Prontera."

"What are you doing in Prontera?"

Iruna invented wildly, in a spontaneous moment of despair. "Shopping."

Valkron stared at her blankly for a few minutes. Then he came to his senses. "Okay, I'll come."

She waited while he changed his appearance from baggy to respectfully neat. They waved goodbye to Emeth and a giggling Kushana, and warped to Prontera.

The city was a little less crowded, but there wasn't much difference than when the celebrations began. Iruna went around the stalls, pretending to look for affordable jewellery and headgear. Eventually Valkron joined in as well, although he had, she had to admit, a bit of a bad taste when it came to jewellery.

Night was falling when Valkron, apparently getting tired of Iruna's constant griping about the price, successfully persuaded her to follow him to a small alley that resembled a Morrocian street. While the Prontera stalls closed, the 'night bazaar' stayed open.

Iruna was surprised that such an alley existed. The place was full of little Morrocian-style shops, with tapestries and waterproofed hemp roofs instead of the usual canvas-covered Pronteran stalls. The Morrocians, who knew a good business when they saw it, sold their exotic fruits, spices, fabrics and items with the boldness they usually used when in their hometown.

"When did you discover this?" she asked Valkron delightedly. "It's like a small Morroc in Prontera!"

"Saladin and Raven brought me here once," he replied. "I usually get supplies for Evlor here, and maybe one or two gifts if I feel like it."

"Gifts? For who?"

"Oh, for friends." He shrugged.

"Friends like Adiemus and the like?"

"Yeah."

"Was there any reason to buy gifts for them?" she asked.

"You don't forget people who save your neck, do you?" Valkron chuckled at Iruna's face. "No, actually the real answer is...you don't need a reason to give gifts to people. I just felt like it."

"The prices here are good, too," she said. "Not too low, and not too high."

"Why chase away your customers before they even manage to start deciding if they want something or not?" Valkron nodded to a dark-skinned Morrocian merchant, who nodded back. "They know that for certain."

"And you know them?"

"I'm the only knight who can speak grammatically correct Morrocian, apparently."

"Ooh, really? Could you show me?"

Valkron looked taken aback at her eagerness. "If you say so. Do you want to buy anything?"

"I've been thinking about this," she said, holding a necklace up to the oil lamps in the stall.

The silver glittered beautifully. Valkron raised his eyebrows and whistled. "Wow."

"What?"

"That's a product of a Comodan craftsman. It's only in Comodo you get this quality of work."

"Does it look good on me?" she asked.

Valkron stared. This was something he occasionally encountered when with Iruna, and he certainly did not look forward to it. He always felt unsure of what he wanted to say to her - whether to tell her the truth, or just play along. He'd seen Emeth get told off by Kushana for telling her the truth, but somehow playing along just didn't seem...right.

"Um...why do you ask me that?" he said hesitantly.

"Because if it doesn't go well with my skin or my hair then it would be a complete waste." She looked at the necklace. "Silver goes down well with most clothes, but it's based on me now, really."

Valkron struggled to keep up with this. He found women a mystery, and he also never actually wanted to solve that mystery. It was pretty much the only dilemma he couldn't resolve, so he settled for being completely himself.

"What do _you_ think?" he asked.

Iruna opened her mouth, and then hesitated. She took a look at the necklace again. "I'm not so sure, but...I think goes well with me."

"Then who's to stop you?" he said, shrugging. "You're beautiful enough to me."

Much to his surprise, Valkron found himself wrapped in a tight embrace. He looked down at the smooth blue head near his chin, unsure of what to say.

"Thank you, Valkron," she said, releasing him. She turned to the shopkeeper, who had been watching the whole time with raised eyebrows.

Valkron felt like he had passed a major test. He waited until the necklace was safely in her hands before moving on to the next stall, still marvelling at the fact he had succeeded at doing something on the first try. He didn't really believe in luck, but maybe...it did exist, after all.

They were reaching the end of the alley now. Iruna and Valkron walked past a stall, and then the crusader said, "Wait."

Valkron watched as she doubled back to the stall they had just passed, before joining her. Too late, he realised, as he saw the little dolls on sale.

Iruna picked up a chonchon doll and squeezed it fondly. "I never realised chonchon dolls were this cute. Makes for a good stress reliever, too."

"What?"

She laughed. "We get stressed sometimes, so instead of venting our strength on someone else we go and squeeze something soft. Why are you looking at me like that? It really works. Most crusaders have a soft toy on their desks for that purpose."

"That's fairly interesting," said Valkron.

Iruna gave him a look. "Are you saying that because it's me you're talking to? Sweet-mouth."

She ignored his annoyed look and returned the chonchon doll to its original place. The Morrocian stall had more variety than its Pronteran counterpart; it even had a Baphomet doll, which was rare to find. Valkron waited patiently while she looked over them.

"You know, I've never had a toy in my life," she said softly, looking at a squashy poring doll. "We were too poor to have one. Living in Juno made it harder, so we came down here - but it still wasn't too good. Of course, I didn't miss what I didn't have, but...I love these so much."

"I could buy one for you," Valkron offered, feeling somewhat awkward.

"Oh, you." She kissed him lightly on the cheek. "No, it's all right. I'm fine without them. Children like to cuddle them, but I think I'm satisfied with cuddling you."

Valkron looked embarrassed. The stallholder was trying not to laugh; he turned away to organise his stock, shaking his head as he did so. Iruna giggled at her husband's slowly reddening face and turned back to the dolls.

"However..."

She picked up a small rocker doll.

"These bring back some memories," she said. "You see...I have a rocker doll at home. I've just never hugged or cuddled it. Because it wasn't mine, and I didn't want to get it dirty.

"When I was about ten, I went to my first Prontera Foundation Day opening ceremony with my mother. I can remember I had a lot of fun then - around that time we could still afford to buy luxuries. We ate cotton candy and looked through the shops, even if we didn't buy much.

"It was kind of inevitable, I guess, but I lost my mother in the crowd. I was so scared that time that I started crying, and I didn't want to go into the crowd in case someone snatched me off.

"Everyone just passed me. No one stopped to help. I felt so lost, so scared...and then I heard a voice asking me what was wrong. I looked up to see a swordsman.

"He looked quite serious, but his voice was gentle. I told him that I lost my mother, and he asked me if I was okay with him leaving me where I was to go and find her. Of course I wanted her, but I didn't want to be alone. I said no.

"After thinking for a bit the swordsman led me to a nearby bench and let me sit down. He told me to wait. I asked him not to leave me alone. He thought a bit more, and then offered me this little rocker doll he had been carrying, asking me if it would be enough to keep me company. I liked it at first sight, so I said yes. After he'd given it to me and asking me what clothes my mother wore, he disappeared into the crowd.

"He came out of the crowd shortly, leading my mother. When I saw her I was so happy I leapt off the bench and ran into her arms. She was crying too, and we were so relieved to see each other.

"Then I turned around to thank the swordsman and give back his doll, but he was gone." She smiled sadly at the rocker doll in her hands. "Ever since then I've been looking for him, hoping to find him one day and thank him - and return the doll to him. I've kept it clean and dust-free in my old house, so that I could invite him there and give it back. But I've never found him - not even after I put up advertisements asking him to meet me."

She looked up at Valkron. "Sometimes I wonder why you never meet the nicest people twice-- Valkron?"

The atmosphere around Valkron had darkened considerably. Iruna could feel it pouring off him, and took a step back. She had never felt this from him before.

"Are you still going to shop?" he asked her, not looking up.

"Yes. Why?"

"I hope you don't mind, but I'm going home."

She was surprised. "Why? We're not done yet."

"I...want to go back. I'm not in the mood. I'm sorry for leaving you, but I just have to go back." He turned away.

"Wait, I'll come with you." She put the doll down.

"It's all right. I don't want to spoil your day. You don't have to come with me."

"No, no, it doesn't matter. I don't mind."

It took her some time, but eventually she persuaded him to let her go home with him. All the while he did not look at her, but stared at the ground. She felt something was wrong - something that she didn't know. And Valkron wasn't willing to tell her what it was.

* * *

As Valkron had promised, he went for a walk with Emeth north of Prontera, while the fields were still completely devoid of people. Poporings bounced past happily, uninterested in disturbing the two men.

The sun felt cool on their skin as they made their way over dappled ground. Above them the trees swayed in the fresh breeze from the mountains of Mjollnir. Birds chirped in the trees, and the crickets sang in the bushes.

The two of them talked as they strolled between the trees. There was nothing particular they wanted to discuss - they conversed about everything that came to their minds, from women to their work. From time to time there was laughter as they joked about things.

It felt good to talk.

However, Emeth was careful to keep away from the subject of rocker dolls and rockers. He had spent the night discussing with Iruna about Valkron's mood change, and both had come to an agreement that they were not to bring it up until something serious and related to it happened. Some things, Iruna had said, should not be dredged up unless necessary.

He was still doubtful about it, but he was happy to keep Valkron in the contented mood they were now experiencing as they walked through the forest. The knight had told Iruna that they would be back for dinner, and therefore she had nothing to worry about them being late. Emeth had never seen him in such a pleasant mood before.

Night was falling as they began to make their way back. They had decided to take a different route - they would go down to Prontera and ask the Kafra to warp them back to Geffen. Their own guild flag would take them back to Repherion, after all.

With this plan in mind, they sauntered along, enjoying the crisp night air. It still looked like daylight, but Emeth had already lit a small fireball to light their way through dark areas of the forest. It was hovering between them, at Emeth's head level.

They were keeping silent and listening to the crickets singing when the forest ahead of them opened up into a clearing. Both of them walked into it.

Valkron looked around. The clearing was large, and there were a few tree stumps. Someone had cleared a few trees here in order to enlarge it. There was no grass in this area - just bare, naked soil.

He realised they were walking next to a wall.

The wall was on the opposite side of the clearing, and was built out of bricks and crudely applied mortar. There seemed to be dark stains across the wall as well. Although around the clearing fresh grass grew, there were no weeds, grass or vines on the wall - none at all. All there was were two rows of wooden poles, arranged so that they were all two feet away from each other.

"Emeth?" he said.

"Hm?"

"Sorry to interrupt you from your thoughts, but what is this wall?"

"Huh?" Emeth stopped walking and looked at it; Valkron nearly tripped over his foot. As the knight regained his balance, the wizard said, "You don't know what it is?"

"It looks...familiar," admitted Valkron. "But that's it."

"This is the Executioner's Wall," Emeth explained. "This is where people charged for serious crimes are executed - crimes like treason, murder, adultery...you know, the major crimes. There's no honour given to these people who die. Their bodies are left on the ground for the birds to eat and the insects to decompose."

"How do they die?"

"The King gets the Royal Archers to finish them with one swift arrow to the vital organs. The people executed are, as they say, denied to see how that happens so that they remain as ghosts in this world. The explanation is that ghosts who don't know how they die will wander Midgard forever, unsure if they are alive or not until someone tells them." He looked at Valkron. "I thought you'd know about the Wall, since you're in the Chivalry and everything. Don't they deal with the Prontera Royal Court as well?"

But Valkron did not answer him. He was staring wide-eyed at the wall - but he was not looking at it.

He heard the words, the voices. The images rushed through his head, clear as daylight and vengeful. The chord as the archers fired, the zip of arrows...

...and the blood.

It stood out in his mind, stark and angry. That was when the darkness had begun to close in. He had fought back against it, determined to keep it at bay, but it had won eventually. He'd spent thirty years fighting against it, trying to force it back and free his mind...alone. And he had never succeeded.

"Valkron? Valkron, answer me! _Valkron!_"

He snapped back to his senses. Emeth had grabbed him by the shoulders, and was now staring into his eyes.

"Are you all right?" he asked urgently. "You've gone whiter than a sheet! Come on, say something!"

Valkron momentarily squeezed his eyes shut. "What?"

"You look really bad, Valkron! Are you okay?"

The images were still burning in his mind. _They were burning his mind_. Valkron felt light-headed and sick. His surroundings were wavering, blurring and clearing irregularly.

"N...No," he said, clutching his head. "No, I'm not all right. I feel like throwing up."

"Come on, let's get back home and get Samaroh to see to you. I'll help you, don't worry. I'm here. It'll be fine."

* * *

Samaroh had a look at Valkron for a while, while Emeth and Iruna waited worriedly in the background. The knight had protested about this earlier, saying that he just needed sleep, but the other two overrode him and got Samaroh to come.

Eventually the priest stepped back and said, "As far as I can tell, there's nothing wrong with him."

"There's got to be," said Iruna. She had gone frantic when she found out what had happened, and only the combined efforts of Nalini, Eni, Kala and Emeth had calmed her down. Emeth was keeping his hands on her shoulders at the moment.

"Nope," said Samaroh, shaking his head. "He's fine. As healthy as a man his age can be. It's spring now, and it could have been pollen...are you allergic to pollen, Valkron?"

"Obviously not," replied the knight, somewhat sourly. "Can I go now?"

"Um...yeah. Yeah, go ahead."

Valkron got up and left; the other two watched him go, but did not say anything.

"You know, you could have said something just to keep him behind," said Emeth, once the door was closed.

"I don't lie, Emeth. If there's nothing wrong with him then I'll say it. There's no point making him worry as well." Samaroh turned to the table and began to repack his tools.

"Oh? Well, this is something we need to worry about."

"Don't try and make a mountain out of an anthill, Emeth."

"I'm not!"

Samaroh stared at him. Iruna stared at him.

"You weren't there when he went white," said the wizard fiercely. "You didn't see him stiffen, and you didn't see his eyes. You may be good with the body, Samaroh, but you're missing one thing. You're missing his mind. If that's not all right, then his body isn't all right."

"I'm telling you, Emeth--"

The wizard grabbed Samaroh by the front of his robes and yanked him off his feet. "You listen to me, you bleeding god-worshipping idiot! If I say Valkron's not all right then he bloody well isn't!"

"Stop it, Emeth!" Iruna forced his arm down; Samaroh landed on his feet, still too shocked to say anything. "You can't just tell other people to do something when you don't have a reason to! Samaroh knows what he's doing! Don't you, Samaroh?"

The priest looked at her at the mention of his name, still dazed. "What?"

"You know what you're doing, right?" she asked him desperately.

Samaroh stared at her. Emeth spat something in Old Runic at the two of them and turned his back on them. Iruna glanced at him nervously; he was gripping the edge of the table behind him so hard that his forearm muscles were standing out against his skin.

Eventually the priest said, "I'm sorry I have to tell you this, Iruna, but he's right."

"What?" she said, aghast.

"He's right. Although the people of the Old Empire made in-depth studies of the human body, no one has ever succeeded completing any about the mind. But what he says is true. If the mind is not healthy, then the body is not." Samaroh looked down at his feet. "I just...didn't want to admit it. I'm sorry."

Now it was Iruna's turn to stare at him. After a while, she said, without turning around, "Emeth? What do you think is wrong with him, then?"

The wizard stayed silent for a while. Then he turned around and leaned against the table, crossing his arms across his chest.

"I think," he said coldly, "that the Executioner's Wall means something to him."

"What do you think it is?"

When Emeth spoke again, Iruna felt the little flame of hope in her heart die.

"His life."

* * *

Emeth and Iruna did not talk about Valkron for a long time. The crusader had simply agreed to keep an eye on him, and that was it.

On the day the celebrations ended, however, Iruna went to see the wizard. Kushana had refused to permit him to work in their bedroom, so he had resorted to working late in the meeting room. This usually meant that he was the only one in the meeting room at about one in the morning.

Iruna pretended to go to bed like everyone else. Once she was sure everyone was asleep, she got out of bed, careful not to disturb Valkron, and went down the stairs with a coat over her nightdress.

Emeth was, as expected, working late. She went and sat down next to him. For some time she watched him write in his elegant handwriting and refer to books from time to time.

Eventually, he said, "Hm?"

"I'm going to talk to him tomorrow night," said Iruna. "He's been isolating himself from everyone."

"I noticed that," said Emeth.

"He's also not talking much to others. Including me."

"I noticed that."

"And he's been having nightmares ever since you two came back from the Executioner's Wall. He doesn't talk in his sleep - I wish he did - but he does sound terrible."

"Breathing shallow?" asked the wizard. "Sweating?"

"How did you know?"

"Samaroh told me to expect something like that."

Iruna sighed. "He thinks he doesn't wake me up when he sits bolt upright in bed, but his breathing is already keeping me awake. I'm just so worried for him."

"Go easy on him, will you?" said Emeth, dipping his quill into his ink bottle. "He won't like it if you crack down on him. And I don't think this is something you can easily yell at him for."

"No, I won't yell at him."

Silence.

"Do you ever notice," asked Iruna, "that sometimes he behaves like a child?"

"I did," replied Emeth. "'Course I do. I'm a bit like that, too."

"I'm being serious here."

"I am, too." He looked up from his work. "Valkron does really become like a child sometimes. He seemed so...scared during the party we held for him."

"He's still afraid to reach out to us," she said softly. "No matter how much we show our appreciation and thanks to him."

"Valkron's usually numb to this sort of thing," said Emeth. "Appreciation, thanks...we need to show him something else. Trust? That's a good one."

Iruna nodded. "It's trust. That's all he needs."

"Then go and do what you think is right."

Iruna looked down at her hands in her lap. Emeth must have sensed that there was something wrong, because he then asked, "What's up?"

"I'm afraid of hurting him," she whispered.

After a long silence, Emeth put his quill down and reached out. He took her chin in his hand and raised her head until she was looking directly into his face.

"Iruna," he said, "if you don't hurt him now he'll hurt himself forever."

* * *

The next night seemed to take a long time to come, but Iruna didn't pay attention to the time. Emeth's words replayed in her head, and she knew it was something she had to do. There was no option.

Finally it was night. She sat on the bed and waited for Valkron, staring blankly into the air and not even moving when he finished getting ready and went over.

"Iruna," he said, "aren't you tired?"

She started, and then looked up at him and smiled. "I am."

"Then you take a rest."

"It's okay. The Order's given me a few days off for working during the celebrations."

The knight smiled. "You should still rest, either way."

She shook her head. "I want to ask you something."

"Go ahead."

"Can you tell me everything about yourself?"

Valkron's smile was suddenly strained and empty. He looked at her for a long time. She looked back up at him, not wanting to look away, pleading for him to explain.

Then he went over to the table on his side, pulled out something small from a pocket in his working clothes and returned to her. He handed it over to her and sat down on the bed, not looking at her although he was next to her.

She looked at it. It was a small piece of canvas - so small that it could have been for a picture frame. Someone had taken this with an old imp - old imps were colour blind, and so painted in black and white.

There were two people in the picture. One was a man, middle-aged and with white hair spilling handsomely over his shoulders. He was laughing fondly at the second occupant - a small white- haired boy who looked no older than six, waving at the person holding the imp box in childish excitement. The black and white were somewhat faded and worn, and the edges of the canvas dog-eared and slightly torn.

"I never told you why I called the party the Raulus."

Iruna looked up from the picture at Valkron. The knight was gazing at the floor, his eyes half-closed.

"I didn't have an idea on what to call it," he said. "I'm not very imaginative. So I called it after the one person I've always thought of throughout my life - my father.

"There's one reason why I've always thought of him. One reason why I consider myself a warrior of the world. It all started with this, and it won't change.

"My parents were warriors of the world. They fought for nothing but the world itself. Without the world, how can the kingdom exist? I loved the idea, and I wanted to be like them. My father was a knight; my mother an assassin. They were always called on to protect Izlude, and they put a lot of effort into it. I thought the world was that way - where people called on the best to be their guardians, and loved to appreciate them for it.

"When I was ten, the Prontera government ripped that world apart. They announced that warriors of the world were nothing but selfish, dangerous people with no purpose in the kingdom. They said that warriors of the world were a threat to the society, and that the kingdom could do without them.

"One by one those who fought for the world faded away into the forests, where they spent their last days hiding from the authorities. My parents did so, too - they moved from Prontera to Izlude. I was completely ignorant of this, and I was happy to go to Izlude because the Swordsman Academy was there. I'd already enrolled in it, and was taking my first lessons.

"It didn't end there. The kingdom sent out guards to hunt down those who maintained their warrior of the world standing. My parents didn't know about this until it was too late, and then they had to hide me. They told me not to come and find them, whatever happened.

"I didn't listen to them. The next morning I heard they had been taken to the Executioner's Wall. I went there immediately, just in time to see my parents and a few others tied to the poles and blindfolded. I saw the archers aim their arrows, and fire.

"Later on, when everyone else had gone, I went to see my parents. I went straight to my father, and found him still alive - but barely. I begged him to come home with my mother, but he said no. He was the one who told me the warrior's blessing, before he closed his eyes and he never moved again. I thought he'd gone to sleep and tried to wake him, but eventually I realised what death meant.

"I moved out of the house shortly after that. The house was empty and cold without my parents. I stayed in the Academy as a boarder. Even then, the hell didn't stop there. I had nightmares every night, I cried in my sleep, I felt like I was lower than the worms. People laughed at me and left me alone. All I had was that picture and a little rocker doll my parents had given me for my fifth birthday. I'd promised that I'd keep it with me all the time, for as long as I lived, and that I would take care of it as if it were my own life.

"The other kids knew who my parents were. They left me alone, and their parents talked about me. No one wanted to play with me. I told the teachers when my birthday was, but the children refused to celebrate it. I played alone when I was free; on my birthday I went to the river bank and made a mud cake. But I knew they'd never come back, and I'd never celebrate the day I was born with them.

"I started hating myself when I got to adolescence. I hated myself for being pathetic and dependent on my parents. I hated myself for not being able to talk to others and tell them that I wanted friends. I stopped visiting the river bank on my birthdays, because I didn't want to see myself in the water or appreciate the day I was born. I hated myself. Just myself. For everything I could and couldn't do.

"That was when I concentrated on becoming the best. I didn't care how long it took - all I wanted was to be better. Practising with a sword took my mind off my parents. I began to forget about myself, and looked to helping others instead. I assumed that if I had to live like this then I was meant to help others and not myself.

"That was when I lost the rocker doll. The bigger boys constantly bullied me, and eventually took the doll from me. I never saw it again, no matter how much I begged them. When I finally confronted them and beat them down with my own skills, they told me that they had lost it somewhere.

"I saved up until I had enough to buy one, and went during Prontera Foundation Day to get it. I was going back to the Academy when I saw you crying near the edge of the crowd, and I didn't want to see you cry.

"When you hugged your mother, I felt another wound rip open inside me. You reminded me of my own mother, and I realised then that I missed my parents - I missed them so badly that I wanted to cry. I didn't care about the doll anymore - suddenly it was something I never wanted to touch again, let alone see."

"And you lived like that for thirty years?" asked Iruna. "Like you'd never had a life?"

Valkron did not answer, but she knew what it was. She looked at the picture again. Suddenly she understood why he had been so silent about himself for so long - and why he had wanted to forget everything.

"I've tried to stop myself feeling this way," he said softly. He had been speaking in a monotonous, soft tone for the whole time. "Sword practice was good, but not good enough. I even tried to kill myself several times, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I tried to drown myself, but someone stopped me. I tried putting my own sword to my neck, I tried making myself bleed, I tried submitting to the bigger boys' bullying...nothing worked. And I hated myself even more for doing it, so I gave up shortly afterwards."

His green irises slid to one side to look at her. "I know you and the rest have done a lot to try and help me, but the reason why I've never trusted you with this until now is because...love was alien to me. By the time I met you, I'd forgotten how it was like to live. I'd forgotten love and warmth. I had friends only for necessity, not because we shared the same interests. All I did was to wait for the next day to come, and the next day, and the next...I looked forward to nothing in life. That's all I do, Iruna. I live for others. I don't care about myself anymore."

"You should," she said. "We all love you. How can you love us if you don't love yourself?"

He looked away. "Because sometimes...I don't see you as friends. I've become to attached to things in life, and when I lose them another wound opens. I don't want to be so close to you. People broke me when they realised I was going to stick to them. I lost my trust in others that way. If I'm still that way and I lose any of you, I don't know what I'll become. That's why I lived for others. It didn't matter if I didn't smile. I wanted to see other people smile instead."

"Valkron," she said, "did you ever think we'd do that to you?"

"Who knows?"

His cold, short reply made her stare at him. He looked at her again.

"People seem fine with you when you make friends with them," he said. "But when you get into a tight spot, they leave you to suffer and laugh at you. That was what I learned when I saw my parents die. My parents fought for everyone, and no one defended them. In my life, more than half the people I met did that to me. Tell me - what is there to look forward to when you can trust no one?"

"More importantly, what is there to look forward to when you don't hope?" she asked.

Valkron looked away. She sensed the drop in the temperature, and knew she had hit him somewhere.

"What is there to hope for," he said quietly, "when you don't know how to hope anymore?"

The answer was like a wake-up call. Throughout the time he had been talking she had felt his body tremble, as if it was the aftermath of the opening of all the wounds he had ever had in his life. Now she could see how he had lived his life - always alone, in the cold, dark emptiness that had formed his life, but never stopping and never giving up. It was true that he'd been tormented, broken, mocked and driven to a point where life meant nothing to him, but he had still moved on.

It hadn't been a matter of living for something. It had just been a matter of living.

For a long while none of them spoke. Iruna broke the silence then.

"But we're here for you," she said. "You made your own light for thirty years. Will you give permission for us to light your way now? Because we want to, and we will. We promised that when we joined you."

He did not answer. Iruna took his hand in hers.

"Valkron," she said, "can you accept it that we are here for you?"

He still did not answer. She was struck by how miserable he looked; she could picture him sitting out and alone in the wilderness with no one but his peco and looking just as miserable and destroyed as he was now. Suddenly she felt an overwhelming urge to hug him - and hug him she did. She kept him close to her chest, like a mother tightly hugging her child on a stormy night, and caressed the back of his head.

"Everything will be fine now," she whispered to him. "We're here. I'm here. Nothing will hurt you anymore. I won't let anything bleed you. I want you to live for yourself."

He said nothing. She closed her eyes and felt the heat form his body warm her as she rested her head on his. There was nothing more she wanted now than to protect him from everything that had injured him in his life.

And then there was a sob.

She did not move, but she opened her eyes. She felt him clutch at her, and, for the first time they had met, he began to cry.

* * *

It took her a long time to retell what he had told her to Emeth, because she now finally understood what Valkron had been through. When, at long last, she had finished, he sat back in his seat and gazed at her.

Then he asked, "How long did he cry?"

"I don't know," she replied. "More than an hour, most likely. I didn't stop him."

"I didn't say you should," said Emeth. "For all we know, that's probably the first time he cried in thirty or so years. You can't blame him."

"I think you're right," she said. "It felt like he'd been wanting to get everything out, but he hadn't been able to do it until now. You didn't hear him sob last night. Every breath he took was like torture to his lungs--"

"I know."

She looked up at him. Emeth looked serious.

"I know how it feels like," he said quietly. "And it's a right hell, I can tell you."

Iruna nodded. It had been painful to listen to Valkron crying. She hadn't tried to stop him, but she had come very close to doing so several times. Every sob had rend her heart; every tremble had made her hug him even more. He had clung to her as if he would never let go, and she had sensed the fear and the agony.

It was something she had never experienced before, and now she wasn't going to forget it so soon.

"While he cried, he sobbed about something on the lines of why I loved a worthless man like him," she said. "I didn't know he'd think that way. Not even after telling me about himself. I'm amazed that the hatred for himself could be that strong."

"Well, you saw what he did when the elites invaded Neuschwanstein," said Emeth. "That was fuelled purely by hatred for himself. I still can't think why I'm the only one who can stop him, as all of you said."

"Because to him you're the first person he's ever considered as a best friend," she said.

"But you're his wife."

"Does it make a difference?"

"Uh...yes?"

Iruna sighed. "Maybe you're the best friend who's never thought of betraying him - unlike all the other 'friends' he used to have."

Emeth thought about this. "True."

They sat there for some time. Eventually Emeth asked, "So where's he now?"

"He's asleep. I've got Nocturne to send a falcon to the Chivalry and give permission for him to take the day off. He's not feeling well, and I think he'll need one whole day to recover."

"And heal," agreed the wizard. "Right. I'll tell the others to keep the noise level down. Do you mind asking Hlin to make lunch and dinner for him? I can tell Niki that Valkron's not teaching her today."

"I can do that, too." Iruna smiled. "She'll be happy."

"Niki's been tailing Valkron these days and watching everything he does," Emeth remarked. "Not too sure if she still thinks he's a blimmin' fool, but you can ask her that. If I see any Chivalry or other person come to ask for him I'll shoo him off."

"You're not teaching today?"

"No, not when I've got research to do. Besides, there aren't any Theory of Magic classes on the Day of the Moon. We've finally got a Calligraphy teacher, too...haha. No more Calligraphy for this wizard."

Iruna laughed. "I feel so much better when you're around, you know. The atmosphere always lightens up and it's great to laugh with you. You're really charismatic for a wizard."

"That's what they all tell me," said Emeth, rolling his eyes.

* * *

I did something incredibly stupid when I first started writing this chapter - I wrote the prelude to the next chapter in it as well. As a result this chapter went to about 95+ KB, and that's pretty big for a chapter of WotW (the previous record breaker was chapter 34 of the first WotW, which was 84 KB). Which explains why I took more than a week to write this, including the time taken to plan everything out. It also explains why I can release two chapters at the same time - I've had to spend several minutes splitting them.

So basically the timeline starts around just after Prontera Foundation Day (the first day itself) for both chapters.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

I will no longer be posting up chapters for a short while, mainly because 1) my last day to go to the internet cafe is today, and 2) I am leaving for the UK this Saturday. However, I promise that WotW: FotP WILL be concluded this September.

small note: I wonder if anyone's noticed him yet, but Aragan the Acolyte (the creator of the webcomic Ragnarok Wisdom at /rw) has been featured in this story the second time. He's pretty much an impromptu cameo - he's the most senior acolyte in the Prontera Church here - because I didn't ask him if I could use him here. Actually I did it mainly to respect him as a perma first class, although the Ragnarok Renewal Project is going to seriously limit him if it is launched.

He still plays in iRO, I believe. Not too hard to miss. And his name is spelled correctly.


	66. Murder

Chapter 66**  
Murder**

Alya looked up. "You're joking."

"I'm not," said her assistant.

"You are."

"I really am not. My lady, please. I don't joke with you."

The sage stared at her for a little while longer. Then she said, "Why was David expelled?"

"Apparently Vineis overheard him swearing that he would surrender Rothenburg to Valkron if the knight did not manage to claim it a week after the celebrations. The blacksmith swore that he would resign if he did not manage to achieve this. It seems that to prevent this Vineis expelled him before further action could be taken."

"That isn't possible," whispered the sage. "Vineis would never do that to his own guildmates, let alone his senior circle. They have a right to the agits they were assigned to. They have the right to surrender them to anyone they believe deserves it."

"I don't know," said her assistant, shrugging.

"So who's left in the Black Cross senior circle?"

"Lucius, Sedir, Sheuth and, of course, Vineis."

"Lucius is left?" Alya sat back in her seat, staring blankly at the opposite wall.

"My lady, I don't think you should trouble yourself with these matters," said the young woman standing next to her. "You might put stress on the baby. Vineis wouldn't want that."

"Vineis also knows I'm capable of handling such situations," snapped Alya. "He is my husband. Don't think you know him just by looking at him. There's more to him than you think."

She softened at her assistant's expression. "I'm sorry. I'm overreacting, I know...but I also know Vineis would never be so cruel. Maybe you should just leave, before I unleash my temper on you."

"I think so too." The woman hastily bowed. "Have a good rest, my lady."

When she was gone, Alya got up from her seat and wandered over to the window. It would be several more months before she would be burdened by her swelling stomach, but for now she enjoyed her freedom. She watched the members of the Black Cross mill around Luina, talking and buying items from the merchants.

_First Vineis expels Kuroihi, Naobi, Zweihaender, Arlena and Oripheus for failing to defend the agits in Luina when they did their best - and instead of reprimanding the three elite leaders for acting impulsively. Then he expels David for an oath that is actually the blacksmith's right. Since when did Vineis become so harsh? He always gives second chances to his troops. That's why everyone in the Black Cross respects him._

She went to the door, opened it and found her assistant standing outside.

"Eavesdropping?" she asked slyly.

"Um...sorry," replied the woman meekly. "I was just worried..."

"I appreciate your concern, but I'm fine," said Alya. "I just want to know something else. What happened to Reita? Why has she left with David?"

"Uh...apparently she didn't want to leave him."

"That's it?"

"Yes."

"Thank you." Alya promptly shut the door, wondering why people found it alarming when she talked to herself.

She did some of her research until she was sure the entire castle of Nuernberg had gone to sleep. Then she shut her book, got up from her chair and went over to her window. Night had fallen by now, and there were beautiful clear skies every night. With the exception of the monthly occurrence of the Dark, she enjoyed every night of spring.

As she stared, she said quietly to herself, "Vineis is, at the moment, in Geffen. Doing research work."

_Yes indeed_, replied a voice in her head. Alya trusted her thoughts to reply her when she asked herself questions aloud.

"When did he return to the Valkyrie Realms?"

_Several days ago. Only yesterday he went off to Geffen, remember?_

Alya did remember. Vineis was responsible for a heavily debated study on the two 'psychic' spells in a wizard's arsenal - Napalm Beat and Soul Strike. Mainly it was about the level of usefulness of the two spells. He had been so immersed into it that he had been talking about it for two days before he had left for Geffen. She was sure he even talked in his sleep about it, but since they still lived apart she could only guess that.

After a while she went back to her desk, pulled out a piece of paper and scribbled down a long list. She checked it, and then nodded in satisfaction. Then she put it down on her desk and went to get ready for bed.

The flickering light of the oil lamp on her desk illuminated a perfectly copied list in rogue code. The original list was with Sheuth, after all, but he hadn't realised that the sage had an excellent memory.

She had a job to do.

* * *

Raven leaned back in his seat. "I don't know, Alya. This just looks like a list to me."

"A list of what?" asked the sage anxiously.

"Names." The rogue scanned the paper. "Just names, as far as I can tell."

"What about the small paragraph at the bottom?"

"Nothing much. It just seems to show a lot of the same names from the list, just that each of them is being followed by another." Raven put the paper flat on his desk and picked up a pencil.

"See where the codes end? They have little arrows after them pointing to the next name. It's as if whoever wrote this was showing a process of referring to certain people one after the other."

"So what are the names?"

"Let's see...'Kuroihi', 'Naobi', 'Oripheus', 'Zweihaender', 'Arlena' - the last three have been grouped under 'three leaders' - 'David', 'Reita', and 'Lucius'. The last one I can't read - you must have smudged the last few letters of the name."

"What?" She leaned over.

"I don't know what this is," he said, pointing at the last few squiggles. "This might stand for a 'e' or a 't'. And this might be a 'l' or an 's'. And the first few letters are all wrong." He looked up. "Are you sure you copied this letter for letter?"

"Yes, I'm sure." Alya picked up the paper. "I swear they looked like that on the original."

"Maybe you copied them _too_ exactly, Alya. I suggest you go back and look again." Raven frowned a little. "Look, I'll give you some help. I'll write down the entire code on the paper, and then you can refer to it yourself. I'm kind of busy at the moment."

"I'm sorry about interrupting you at this moment, but I'm really worried about this," said Alya. "Thank you, Raven."

"No problem." There was a pause, only broken by the sound of him scribbling on the paper. Then he asked, "Why did you come to me, Alya?"

"Hm?"

"I'm sure there are rogues in your guild who would help you with the code," he said, still scribbling. "And whose does this belong to?"

"Um...I can't exactly trust anyone in the guild at the moment," she said. "And I'd rather not say whose list it was. I'm sorry."

Raven looked up at her. "Confidential?"

"Yes. Sort of. Well, once I figure it out then I'd know."

"Fair enough." He put his pencil down. "Here you go. Good luck with it, whatever you're going to do."

Alya nodded. "Thank you very much, Raven."

"No problem. Guild leaders should help each other. Oh, before I forget - they're revising the rogue code, so there may be some new words." Raven nodded at the paper she was holding. "They're not in there, but I think Vineis has the method of deciphering them in his study."

"All right, then." She looked down at the paper for a few minutes, and then looked back up again. "How's my father?"

"Oh, he's fine. Do you have anything to tell him? You seem busy."

"Ooh, yes," she said, her eyes brightening up. "Tell him I love him, and I'm sorry I can't visit him at the moment. He'll understand."

"He will," said Raven, smiling. "He will."

* * *

Alya would have begun stalking Sheuth if it hadn't been for the fact that Vineis returned to Gondul on the same day she was planning how to extract the last piece of information from the paper Sheuth held. However, it was only for a short while.

"You look pale," she said, as Vineis shuffled through his papers on his desk. "And you have shadows under your eyes."

"I haven't been sleeping much," he replied, as he scanned several pieces of paper one after the other before placing them aside. "I have to face a panel of five senior professors to defend my case study, and I'm doing it alone. All this work just to argue out something..."

"Why doesn't anyone do it with you, like a team?" she asked. She immediately regretted that she had asked. Vineis turned to face her; he had a tortured look on his face.

"Because no one wants to be in a team with an insane wizard like me," he said sadly.

Alya reached out to him and took his face in her hands. "You're not insane," she said quietly. "You're just you."

"How would you know?" Vineis pulled himself away from her grasp and continued to sift through his papers.

The sage opened her mouth - and found that she could not reply. She watched him in a daze, until she remembered something.

"Vineis, I need to ask you something."

"What is it now?" he asked tiredly.

Normally Alya would have hesitated before asking, but this time she plunged straight in. "Have you noticed anything about the senior circle and its members?"

"What is there to notice?"

"Some people are missing, aren't they?"

"They're probably busy with something of their own matters," said Vineis. "I'm going now. Take care of yourself - I won't be back for another week."

He turned to go, but Alya grabbed him by the shoulders. "Vineis, please, just listen to me."

"I don't have time." The wizard looked at his watch. "I have to be there in half an hour to present my written work. Please let me go."

Alya mouthed wordlessly, and then sighed. "I love you, Vineis."

He looked at her for a while. Then he smiled. "I love you too, Alya."

Despite the overwhelming frustration she was experiencing, Alya leaned forward and kissed him on the lips. They held the kiss for a while, and then broke apart.

"I'll miss you," he said softly. "It's a pity you can't help me. Don't worry, I'll be back. I promise."

"Take care of yourself, too," she said, smiling a little. "I miss you already."

Vineis laughed and went out. Alya started to follow him, and then held herself back. Maybe not today.

Maybe not now.

* * *

Alya had now been staying in Gondul for almost a week. She told herself she was waiting for Vineis to come home, so that she could talk to him. While she waited, she busied herself with trying to decipher the last word on the copy she had made of Sheuth's list.

For a few days she had been trying to get into Sheuth's room, but to no avail. The rogue seemed to be in there all the time, working away on tasks Vineis had assigned him to do in the wizard's absence. She had occasionally passed him in the corridors, and knew from his face that he was annoyed she was in Gondul.

Right now she was just about ready to give up on sneaking into his room. She looked down at her list, where she had scribbled different words all over it as she had tried to fit the words Raven had given her into the last word.

She had told herself over and over again that it was just another name. But, her mind would then argue, why would Sheuth write down one whole paragraph of names? Raven said it looked as if he was writing down the names of the people he wanted to refer to, one after the other; so that meant the last word would usually be a final conclusion or a convergence point, wouldn't it?

Alya had a feeling that this was not a nurturing experience for her unborn child.

She put her pencil down and got up from her seat. The room she had picked was almost above the gates of Gondul, so if she looked out of the window she would see the people walking in and out of the agit. She went over to the window now and looked down at the crowd milling around below.

The sage sighed. She had been wanting to go out with Vineis and celebrate Prontera Foundation Day with everyone else, but now that she was involved in this and the wizard was involved in his own research that wasn't about to happen.

She could hear the laughter of the rest of the Black Cross as they relaxed outside the agit. As she looked down, she could see their heads. Some of them were lying down on the cobbles in relaxation; others were lounging around the doors--

Alya grabbed the windowsill, her eyes darting around. Was that Sheuth she had just seen, walking out of the castle? It couldn't be.

Could it?

She searched frantically. Then she saw the rogue, with his unkempt brown hair. He was walking out of Gondul and heading in the direction of Kriemhild. In one hand she could see a sheaf of papers.

The sage whispered a few words. Immediately several small eyeballs materialised out of the air. One shot out of the window, where it would hover near the doors; the others followed her obediently until she opened the door; they zipped out and went off to the different sections of the castle they had been assigned to.

Then, as fast as possible, she hurried to Sheuth's room. Hers was on the first floor; his was on the third. She nearly hit the door at the speed she was going, but she didn't care.

Alya grabbed the door handle and tried to turn it. It was locked. She leaned on the door and whispered a few different words. There was a click, and she turned it again. This time the door opened.

Sheuth's room was in a mess. Alya vaguely caught the sight of records lying scattered all over the floor and clothes on the bed, but she did not take notice. She went straight to his desk and began to search for the paper, careful to place back the papers she moved.

No. No, it was not on the desk. She opened the drawers, one after the other, and rifled through their contents. No. It was not here either. She went to the shelves, the bed, the files and books on his desk - no, no, it was not there either.

She could feel her heart beating hard. Her consciousness was maintaining the eyeballs so she could keep an eye on the sections, but right now her concentration was wavering. She felt one go off, and then another.

Never mind. She could turn them on later. Sheuth might be a while with the papers. There was no other opportunity except for now.

Alya cast her gaze around the room. Where else would he put paper? Vineis' office? She didn't think so - Vineis understood rogue code. Under the bed? No, that was ridiculous. On the floor, with the records? No - he would want to refer to it from time to time. It would be easily accessible.

She looked down at the table again, and noticed a piece of paper sticking out from under a book. Quickly she yanked it out and ran her eyes down it. The rogue code on it stuck together and danced crazily in front of her eyes.

No. She could not panic. Alya closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. Then she opened them again. Ah, the letters had unstuck and were behaving themselves.

Some of the rogue code Raven had given her had stuck in her head. She recognised some of the letters, and tried to decipher it on those words she had learned. It was some kind of note Sheuth had written to himself, apparently...

The letters worked themselves out in her head. Translated, it read:

_Everything going to plan. List no longer required. May need some necessary adjustments. Deal with the Black Cross? Maybe not required, either. If successful Black Cross may not need seeing to._

List no longer required. Was it the list on which he had written the names down? She tucked it back under the book and looked around. There was nowhere else she could see where he would put an unneeded piece of paper--

The wastepaper basket! It was sitting at the other side of the room. Alya started forward, and then paused. Her consciousness was switching on the scout spells; it wouldn't hurt to check if he was around.

Not at the doors. Not on the first floor. Not on the second, either. Not the back door.

_Sheuth was nearing his room door._

Panic seized her; she struggled to fight it. She pointed a finger at the door; there was a small click as the door re-locked. Now was not the time to panic. He was coming back, and she had to hide.

But where?

Just then, Sheuth opened the door.

He cast his gaze around. There was no one in the room. Everything seemed fine. The rogue shook his head and went to get a file he had forgotten to bring over to Kriemhild. He was wondering why he had to waste his time by being so foolish; luckily he had realised it when he was making his way over.

As he went to leave, he stopped and turned back. He looked around his room again. Something didn't seem quite right.

After a little while, he shrugged and shut the door, locking it behind him as he did so.

The clock in his room ticked away. Then the air near the window rippled, and Alya materialised into view. She was clutching her heart and panting. It had taken her all her effort to keep silent and not move at all. She silently thanked Vineis for giving her a small clip imbued with a card enabled with a basic cloaking spell.

Then she went over to the wastepaper basket, hoping that Sheuth would not have found time to empty it.

It was full of scrunched up balls of paper. Alya used telekinesis to pick up several and unroll them. While they flattened out she watched Sheuth leave Gondul again.

It took her a short while, but she eventually found it. She looked at it again, and saw the missing word. There was no time to decipher it on the spot; she memorised the word and re-crumpled the balls she had opened up, dropping them back into the basket.

Then, still watching several sections of the castle at once, she unlocked the door, went out, and locked it again.

* * *

Alya scribbled down the last word of the code on the paper in satisfaction. As well as the last name, there had been a short, curt sentence at the bottom of the list Sheuth had written - she had taken that, too.

The problem was that one of the letters in the last word was not in the code Raven had given her. Neither were a few of the words in the last sentence, either. Alya scratched her head. This was hard.

Then she remembered Raven's words.

_"They're revising the rogue code, so there may be some new words. They're not in there, but I think Vineis has the method of deciphering them in his study."_

She picked up the piece of paper and her pencil, and went over to Vineis' study. The wizard had given her the key for safekeeping; now she unlocked the door and went inside. She quietly shut the door behind her.

Everything was in its place, just as the wizard had left it. She cast her gaze around before she went over to the desk, put the paper and pencil down on the table and went to look through his bookshelf.

It took some time, but she finally found a slim notebook that looked fairly new. Inside, in Vineis' neat, round handwriting, was an entire revision of the rogue code and the method to decipher it. She went back to his desk and looked through the pages.

The method was fairly long, but Alya wasn't a sage for nothing. She read and reread it until she was sure of the steps, and then she set to work.

The small clock on the desk ticked away as the wick in the oil lamp beside her burned. Eventually she lit it with witch-fire, which required no oil to burn, and continued working, completely ignorant of the time or anything else that was happening in the castle. It would take her a few days to do this, but she was not in a hurry.

* * *

When Alya finally reached the last bit of the list on Tyr's Day, she was so happy she didn't read it through at first. She took a little break and went to talk to a few people in Gondul. After that she came back up and stared out of the window for a long time, absently caressing her rapidly swelling abdomen as she did.

Then she went back to decode the last few words. The method was now in her memory; she no longer needed to refer to Vineis' notes as she worked it out. She loved little puzzles like this, and she felt alive when she was doing them.

At long last, she dotted the paper to mark the little full-stop that ended the last sentence. She sat back and sighed, relieved that the hard work was done, and then took a look at the last paragraph.

_Kuroihi -- Naobi -- Zwei, Arlena, Ori (together) -- David -- Reita (may have gone with D) -- Lucius -- Vineis_

_BC to deal with? If according to plan BC will no longer exist anyway._

_BC?_ thought Alya. She looked over the paper again. There was no mention of BC anywhere else on the paper.

By this time a lot of people would have given up, but Alya was the kind of person who, upon hitting a dead end, would try to climb over it. She sat back, paper in hand, and looked around the room as she thought.

_Sheuth referred to Kuroihi, and then Naobi, and then the rest? But whatever for? And why so orderly?_

A voice in her head said, _Kuroihi and Naobi were expelled. So were the three elites. Then David and Reita went. Doesn't the order fit?_

There was a second's pause. Then Alya gave a little shriek, and immediately clapped her hand over her mouth. She stared at the paper with her hand over her mouth, her eyes wide open.

"No," she breathed. "What are you going to do to Vineis and the Black Cross? _What are you going to do, Sheuth?_"

The sage leapt from the chair and ran to the door. When she wrenched it open, she came face to face with Lucius, who instantly held up his hands as if to stop her from running into him.

"Alya?" he said. "What are you doing in Vineis' study?"

"I'm sorry, Lucius, but I have to go to the Chivalry," she said breathlessly. "I need to ask Valkron to help me."

"With what?" asked the assassin, looking mystified.

_He's not been expelled, but his name is on the list_, her thoughts reminded her.

"Okay, I'll explain but it'll have to be quick," she said. "Sheuth has a plan to get rid of the entire senior circle. I don't know why, but he's even got your name down. You're going to get expelled if I don't go for help."

"What?"

"Look!"

She showed him the list. Lucius stared at it, and then asked, "Is this true? This is what he wrote?"

"I copied this off the original, but he wrote it," she replied. "And he's partially succeeded! We've got to stop him now! Valkron would know what to do!"

The assassin nodded. "I'll come with you, Alya," he said. "We can find him together. Let's go now."

The two of them dashed down the stairs to the second floor, where they got their Kafra to warp them to Prontera. Once they were there they took off to the Prontera Chivalry, Lucius holding Alya's wrist as they ran.

The receptionist was surprised to see them.

"What can I do for you?" she asked.

"We'd like to see Valkron," said Alya breathlessly. "Is he in today?"

"Yes, he is. Just came back from taking a day off, actually. I'll go and look for him, shall I?"

"No, you can just give us the directions to his office," said Lucius quickly, before the sage could speak. "It is an emergency."

"Um...okay." The receptionist had never given directions to anyone before, but she tried. "Go down this corridor on your right and turn right at the first pavilion. When you see the practice courts, walk through three of them and turn left. The Mercenary Knights' Battalion is the first thing you'll see straight ahead."

"Thank you," Alya said, before they sped off, leaving a mystified receptionist.

They ran down the corridor and turned right at the first pavilion. Immediately they were faced with a mass of practice courts, full of rookie knights running about as they practised and talked excitedly.

"Excuse me. Excuse me." Alya pushed her way through. "Sorry. Excuse me."

"Alya, give me the paper," Lucius suddenly said. "I will be faster, and I can use the Assassin's Route."

"All right."

She watched as the assassin leapt above the heads of the crowd, stepping on shoulders as he went. Then she wormed her way through the crowd until she came out into an empty corridor.

Then she realised she had not counted the number of practice courts she had passed on her way. That meant she was in a completely different area of the Chivalry. She cursed her forgetfulness and traced her steps.

The pathway leading back into the practice courts were, by now, chock full of students having their break. Alya sighed and went back to the empty corridor. Maybe she could ask directions from a passing knight.

She sank into deep thought until she realised she was walking past a wall. She looked up at it.

A large, double-headed eagle had been carved into the wall. Just below it were large letters about three feet high and made of lead:

_INFORMATION DEPARTMENT, CITY DIVISION_

Alya passed it, still gazing up at the words, when someone stepped out from behind a pillar. She looked at him.

"Sagna!" she said brightly. "You're Valkron's old student, right?"

The young knight walked towards her without saying a word, but he nodded. She smiled.

"I'm really sorry to bother you, but I'm lost and I'm looking for Valkron," she said. "Could you give me directions to the Mercenary Department?"

Sagna stopped walking. Alya thought that his eyes looked a bit unfocused, but she waited patiently. She heard that Information Department knights could get a bit unwired after a long day.

And then he was gone, moving swiftly forward. Alya opened her mouth to ask - and felt the cold metal sink deep into her.

The pain sheared through her. She could feel Sagna's shoulder pressing against her. She looked down, and saw the blood dripping onto the marble floor, stark red against white.

And that was the last thing she remembered before the darkness fell.

* * *

Lucius found Valkron at hard work away in his office. The assassin entered without knocking, causing the knight to jump.

"Lucius?" he said, rising from his seat. "What are you doing here?"

"We need your help," said the assassin, in a low voice. "Alya copied off a plan Sheuth made and decoded it. Apparently he is planning to destroy the Black Cross from within."

Valkron stared at him. "You're talking about the game being played in your guild?"

"This is not a game anymore. It is a battle. A battle to see who wins. Please, Valkron."

The knight took the paper from him and had a look. "I can't believe this," he said. "Sheuth? Vineis' right-hand man? How could he do this?"

"We do not know his motives, but this is enough proof for Vineis to believe that his right-hand man is betraying him."

"But why me?"

"Alya said you would help her if the time for that comes."

"Alya? Is she here too?"

"She is on her way. We must go now, Valkron! Time is of essence!"

"Right," said Valkron, pulling a belt off the rack in his room. "I'm coming."

They ran out and were soon in the Chivalry entrance hall. Lucius suddenly came to a stop and said, "Alya. Where is she? I did not see her on the way here."

Valkron looked around. "Come to think of it, where's the receptionist too? I have to sign out with her."

"The receptionist?" asked the assistant girl, looking up from her work. "She followed the sage with purple hair just now, to see that she didn't lose her way."

"To where?"

"They said she was seen running to the Information Department."

Valkron and Lucius looked at each other. Then they were off, leaving the assistant girl leaning over the edge of the desk to watch them go.

As they ran through the practice courts, Valkron suddenly skidded to a stop. Lucius did not realise this until a few minutes later, so he was slightly ahead of Valkron when he stopped.

"We have to hurry, Valkron," he said urgently, catching up with the knight.

"I know," Valkron said. "But...where's everyone? It's break time now."

The practice courts were empty. They ran in between the now eerily silent courts, until Valkron noticed a rookie knight disappearing around a corner.

"Over there!"

They rounded the corner - and stopped. It was that or run into a solid wall of students.

"All of you!" shouted Valkron, making them jump. "Move out of the way! This is your commander ordering you to move, so do it fast!"

A gap was hastily made for them to pass through. The two men sprinted down the gap and came into a clearing in the centre of the group. They halted in their tracks and stared.

The receptionist was kneeling on the floor and sobbing. At the sound of the two men stopping, she looked up at Valkron.

"Sir!" She threw herself at him. He caught her and stared as she continued to cry.

"What..."

"No," breathed Lucius. "No."

"The sage...Alya..." The receptionist was desperately trying to speak as she sobbed. "...she...oh..."

But there was no need to say anything. Valkron and Lucius already knew, just by looking. They could not tear their eyes away from the sight of the sage, lying supine in a pool of blood and blank eyes staring at the ceiling. A bloodstained dagger lay next to her. Half of it was in the hands of Sagna, who was staring at it as if he'd never seen it before.

Alya was dead.


	67. Breakdown

Chapter 67**  
Breakdown**

Valkron had gone through plenty of vexing times in his life before. There were times when he had had to face mercenaries who outnumbered him ten to one. There were times when he had to choose between leaving an injured comrade and staying with him or her. There were times where he himself had been on the brink of death.

However, they were simple, straightforward matters. All they involved was the decision to choose either life or death - for himself. He knew the situation. He could weigh it out. All it needed was a split second's thought.

This time, however, he wasn't too lucky with this.

He had personally requested to see his ex-student, who had been taken into custody shortly after the murder had been discovered. Right now he was sitting in the dank, damp depths of the castle's dungeons, where hundreds of criminals over the past had either starved or had been tortured to death. Even now he could still smell the stale scent of blood on the irons that dangled in each cell.

Valkron was in no mood to talk with anyone else. He had spent the entire day in silence. Lucius, after explaining everything that needed to be explained, had silently left the Chivalry for Gondul.

He was alone now.

The warden put his head around the corner. "You can see him now," he said gruffly.

"What was the delay for?" asked Valkron, equally grumpily, as he rose from the cold, hard stone bench he had been sitting on all the while. "I know you guys don't like to keep visitors waiting."

"Well, see, this kid's a special case," replied the warden. "He's scared and all, but he might get unstable anytime! Who knows what he'd do if he goes unhinged--"

Valkron, who had already walked past the warden, stopped walking. He turned, and his arm shot out; he grabbed the warden by the collar and yanked the unfortunate man towards him so hard the man was lifted off his feet.

"I dare you," snarled the knight, "say something against my boy."

The warden was clever enough to keep his mouth firmly shut.

"You still want to say something?" Valkron said, in a menacing voice.

"N-No."

"Good." Valkron dropped him. "I like a fast learner. Stay that way or I'll rip your tongue out."

The warden got to his feet nervously as Valkron headed towards the cells reserved for those who had committed a major crime. He was happy he was safe - so safe that in his overconfidence he shouted, "That's no way to treat a warden of the dungeons!"

Valkron stopped in his tracks and half-turned. In the dim light of the prison a mirthless grin was curling his lips upward. The warden took a step back.

"Oh, it is," he said softly. "It is. And you're talking to me, _warden_. Valkron. I do whatever I want, warden, wherever I go."

The knight disappeared into the shadows, leaving behind an apprehensive warden.

* * *

Sagna had curled up into a ball in one corner of his cell. The warden had actually left the door open, but the young knight did not seem to want to escape.

Valkron watched him from outside. Sagna was not moving.

Then he walked in and shut the door. He went over to the younger knight and touched him gently on the forearm.

"Sagna," he said.

Immediately Sagna uncurled and punched at Valkron, his eyes unfocused and blank. Valkron caught the fist in his hand and forced it away. Only then did Sagna look up at him.

"You've got some explaining to do, kid," said Valkron. "And I'd like it if you try not to attack me. I'm not your enemy. No one is, right now, right here."

Sagna stared at him. Valkron sighed and put his arm around the young knight's shoulders.

"Sit down, Sagna," he said, gesturing to the tiny bed. The young knight did so, still staring into space.

After a short silence, Valkron looked up from his hands and said, "Why did you kill her, Sagna? I never knew you were so violent."

Sagna shook his head, his eyes still wide and blank.

"You've got to talk. If you think I believe you killed her for a reason, then you're wrong."

Sagna said nothing.

Valkron leaned back on the wall. "I trust you, Sagna. You might be a bit rebellious and sometimes downright stubborn, but you'd never do such a thing. Kill her to make a story in _The Voice_? It's not you. It's not Enriel. It's not Saladin. It's none of them. That's why I want to hear the truth from you."

This time he waited for Sagna to say something. Eventually the young man did.

"There is no truth," he said shakily.

"What do you mean? That's not helping much." Valkron sighed. "Sagna, your case is being presented tomorrow at the Court of Knights. If you can't convince the jury that you're innocent, you might as well kiss your life goodbye. And I'm not letting that happen." He sat back. "You've got a bright future ahead of you, kid. Don't throw it away."

Sagna shook his head, his eyes filling up with tears. Valkron noticed that they were already red.

"No. No, don't cry." He put a hand on Sagna's shoulder. "You can do this, Sagna. I'm not letting them take your life away from you, but if you don't help yourself there won't be a second chance, not even a chance to appeal. You'll get Adiemus and vineis calling out for your blood if they don't know the truth."

"There is no truth," whimpered Sagna, tears falling from his eyes. "Go away. There is no truth."

"I don't understand what you're talking about." Valkron grabbed Sagna and looked into the young boy's eyes. "Come on, Sagna, talk to me!"

The young knight burst into tears. Valkron could do nothing but sit with him and wait till it was over. There was something he knew was bothering Sagna and the young knight probably wanted to tell him, but there was something else that would be holding it back. Sagna suffered easily from trauma, and there was nothing Valkron could do when his ex-student was in such a state.

Finally, when Sagna's sobs had subsided somewhat, Valkron asked, this time gently, "Tell me everything, Sagna."

Sagna shook his head as he wiped his tears away with the back of his hand.

"I don't understand what you mean."

This time, Sagna spoke. "Can't - tell - you," he sniffed.

Valkron couldn't believe his ears. "What?"

"Can't - tell - you. Can't tell you. He's watching. He'll kill me if I spill."

"Who?" asked Valkron urgently.

"Can't say. Can't say. Go away. I didn't do it." Sagna had resumed his sobbing. "I didn't do it. I don't know I did it. I didn't want to kill Alya. I didn't even realise someone forced me to. Go away. I didn't do it."

Valkron sat back on the bed. Sagna looked like a complete wreck, as he sat in the filthy cell and sobbed desperately. Valkron couldn't blame the boy - Sagna's greatest fear was death.

But he had to know the truth. He told himself that if Sagna did not answer him this time, he would have to give it up.

"Sagna," he said gently, "you've got to tell me. You're facing the court tomorrow. If I can't defend you properly that's it. End of everything. Do you want that, Sagna?"

The knight was still sobbing, but Valkron knew he had heard - Sagna turned away from him.

"Please," he said to the boy. "Don't make me plead with you."

"I didn't do it," whispered Sagna.

"That's not going to get us anywhere."

"I didn't do it."

"Sagna."

"I didn't do it."

Valkron took Sagna by the shoulders and turned his head to so that both of them were looking into each other's faces. "Sagna," he said, "I don't have a choice anymore."

Sagna wrenched himself free from Valkron's grasp. "I don't know! I don't remember! I didn't want to do it, I didn't know what I was doing! I DIDN'T DO IT!"

The warden's head appeared. "Hey, what's going on here"

"Nothing," replied Valkron curtly. "This isn't your business. Leave before I get out there and give you a good seeing to."

The warden's head quickly darted out of sight. Valkron turned back to Sagna, who had crumpled to his knees and was weeping miserably on the floor. He looked down at the knight and sighed.

* * *

Iruna waited until everyone had filtered out of the meeting room that night before approaching Valkron. He had not said anything for the entire evening, since he had returned. No one had managed to get anything out of him, either - not even Emeth. This was quite serious, considering that Emeth always got something out of him.

Once they had left - and she had made sure no one was listening to the door - she went over to him and sat on the table. She looked down at his slumped form in the chair.

After a while, she asked, "How was Sagna?"

Valkron turned his head to one side, still staring blankly at nothing. "Terrible."

"Why?" She felt a slight pang of concern.

"He's traumatised." The knight sat up in his chair and interlocked his fingers on the table. "I don't know what happened to him. Most people, after being mind-controlled, are perfectly clear later on - albeit slightly mystified and shocked. But someone said something to Sagna - something that made him become this way."

"And what do you think it is?"

"No idea. Sagna wouldn't tell me either." He sighed.

"So how can you tell?"

"Because he behaved this way before. He was stand-offish with me, but when he got bullied he just...failed to be himself. It's happening again, and I thought I'd got it out of his system. I'm suspecting that the person who controlled him said something about his father."

"His father?" Iruna looked at him. "I don't get it."

"Sagna's father left his mother before he was born. Ever since then he's had the idea that his father left because he hated his mother and therefore his own son. It's just like the student I had during the Battle of Al'Zahur..."

Valkron's voice trailed off. Iruna looked a little apprehensive. She had read about this in the Chivalry records, and had hoped never to bring this up with him.

"So what can we do now?"

"Nothing."

Valron's flat, dull tone shocked her. Iruna got off the table. "You're not going to let him die, are you?"

"There's nothing I can do for him now except stand up for him as his ex-tutor. The tutor he had after me has conveniently gone to Umbala to train - f you could call that egocentric, money-faced pervert his tutor. I'd get Trugan to tutor him if I had a choice between him and Trugan."

"But still--"

"There's nothing we can do," repeated Valkron firmly. "If we do anything, we're more likely to mess it up. I just hope that the jury will understand that Sagna had absolutely no motive to kill Alya, and is not the kind of person to do it."

"'Understand' is different from 'consider', Valkron."

"Well, I'll make them consider it."

She stared into his green eyes. They had acquired a fierce, angry glint to them.

"I don't want him to die," he said quietly. "I'd rather die for him."

* * *

The next day dawned bright, but it felt leaden and sickening for Valkron. He silently got out of bed, showered, dressed and left without even saying anything to anybody. No one bothered him either - they knew he wanted to be left alone at a time like this.

The Court of Knights was built in the Chivalry for the purpose of dealing with misbehaving knights only. These days it was also used for petty crimes, as the Prontera Royal Court was far too large for such small cases. To get to it walking through almost half the buildings in the Chivalry was necessary, since no one - not even the resident knight commanders - liked the look of it.

Valkron went there, not greeting anyone and not looking at anything. By regulations he was wearing a green band on his right arm, indicating that he was attending a court case. It didn't matter if he was the defendant, or a witness - all knights who had to attend a court case had to wear it.

Less than half the court was occupied when he got there, and the number did not change much as the clock above the judge's seat steadily ticked its way to eleven. The knights present were the senior knights from the government departments and Sagna's superiors - including Enriel, Saladin, Trugan and Erika.

Valkron was surprised to see Vineis and Adiemus there, however. It was not very often that outsiders attended a Court of Knights case...but he knew they had a right to. They were looking stony-faced and were sitting on opposite sides of the court.

Raven was there as well - clearly just to accompany Adiemus in case he went out of control, as the rogue gave him an apprehensive look and made a gesture that in rogue code meant "I wish this wasn't happening." Valkron nodded back. He understood.

He wished this wasn't happening, either.

Valkron stared for a long time at the wall. He didn't watch anything around him - he was far too busy thinking about what to say. When he was finally called up the only thing he was aware of was the young knight sitting at the side, not looking up at anyone.

It was over surprisingly fast. While the jury congregated to discuss, Valkron moved over to where Adiemus and Raven were sitting.

"Hey," he said in a low voice to them, as the others around them murmured.

Raven smiled wanly at him. Adiemus said nothing. Valkron raised an eyebrow and opened his mouth.

As fast as only a rogue could be, Raven shot out of his seat and pushed Valkron in front of him, along the bench and all the way to the doors. No one watched them go.

Once outside the court Raven stopped pushing him. "Whew, you're pretty heavy for a knight."

"What was that for?" demanded Valkron.

The rogue leaned against the wall nearby, wiping sweat from his forehead. "Oh, I just wanted to have a private word with you. Anyway, how's Iruna lately?"

Valkron narrowed his eyes, but he said nothing.

"Hey, come on. Why so silent? I heard you did a great job with the Prontera Foundation Day celebrations as well. Congrats to you." He held out his hand.

Valkron continued to stare at him. It was surprising that Raven managed to hold his gaze for a long time, because this gaze was, as other knight commanders knew, the expression that said, "I'm going to give you a due kicking in the head right now if you think you can have your way with me."

Finally, however, even Raven lost. He lowered his arm and sighed. "Adiemus...believes Sagna killed Alya. That's why he's not talking to you."

"How can he believe that?" asked Valkron. "He knows Sagna! The boy wouldn't hurt anyone without a good reason!"

"You could have asked him to do it."

Valkron mouthed wordlessly for a few seconds, and then replied, "And why would I want to kill Alya?"

"Guild rivalry, I suppose," answered Raven, shrugging.

"If you want to know, Alya _came to me_ for advice. I promised I'd help her." Valkron inclined his head. "And now she's dead, and I don't know what she wanted me to do."

"Look, Valkron. I don't believe the rumour that you asked Sagna to kill her. Not one bit of it," he added, seeing Valkron raise his head. "It's Adiemus. I can't budge his resolve, and that's it. You know how anchored he is in his beliefs. And he's old. You can't expect him to be flexible anymore."

"_I_ am."

"He's not you."

Valkron could not answer to this. He had been talking, but he didn't feel like he was himself. The talking was just to try and delay the news of Adiemus' beliefs from reaching his mind, but it had been futile. Right now he felt sad and disappointed.

"Why does he think this way?" he asked softly.

"I have no idea. Why do you ask that?"

"Because we knew each other for so long." Valkron turned his head away. "He knows me just as well as I know myself. I...don't understand."

It had been a long time since he had said that, maybe twenty, twenty five years. He had never wanted to hear himself saying it again.

And yet, now...

Raven tilted his head towards the doors. "I think the jury's taking their seats. Come on, let's go back in."

Valkron followed Raven in. The rogue gave him a reluctant wave before settling back down in his seat next to the old crusader. He nodded briefly and went to his own seat, his head inclined.

The judge and the jury returned to their seats. As the crowd shifted uneasily, the judge announced, "We have discussed and considered all evidence and defence, and we have come to the conclusion that Sagna, knight-in-training at the Information Department, City Division, is..."

He checked the papers he was holding. Valkron found himself holding his breath. He noticed Sagna had looked up for the first time during the entire session and was now gazing at the judge like a frightened child.

The judge cleared his throat. "Pardon me. We have come to the conclusion that Sagna is, as he pleads, not guilty."

Valkron nearly slid onto the floor as he untensed, such was his relief. Raven was smiling a little, but he noticed the rogue had turned his head slightly away from Adiemus to prevent the crusader from seeing the smile. Adiemus, on the other hand, had a particular look to his face.

Valkron knew that look. Adiemus was not the kind of man who would get angry easily and without reason, but when he was angry he had an expression on his face that anyone would watch out for. The knight knew that talking to the crusader was not an option now.

So he let them leave first.

* * *

Valkron went to see Enriel later. The knight supervisor was sitting at his desk in the Information Department along with Trugan, Saladin and Erika.

"Enriel," he said, "can I have a word with you?"

"Sure," said the supervisor curtly.

"In private?"

"Why?"

"It's about Sagna."

Enriel gave Valkron a blank look. "If it's Sagna, it's for all of us around this table."

Valkron hesitated. The looks on the faces of Saladin, Trugan and Erika were the same as Enriel's - blank. But he decided to take the risk anyway, and plunged on.

"Enriel, may I make a special request of you?"

"About?"

"Can you please not fire Sagna from your department when he returns to work? Or demote him?"

Enriel stared at him for a long time. Valkron was getting desperate. He did not want Sagna to go into any further depression, but at this rate the chances of that not happening was very low.

"I thought you don't show favouritism to your students," said the blue-haired knight, after a while.

"I don't, but...Sagna's different." Valkron was older than Enriel, but right now he felt completely at Enriel's mercy. "I want him to stay here. This is the place where he belongs, and nowhere else. I don't want him to go home ashamed."

The look Enriel was giving him had now changed. Valkron was now wishing he had never made the decision to do this. It was true that whatever Enriel wanted to do with Sagna now was the supervisor's decision and nobody else's - not even Saladin or Erika. Maybe this was a mistake.

But now he was in the middle of it, and there was no backing out.

"Please, Enriel," he said.

"What made you think like this?" asked the supervisor.

Valkron gave up. He could only take so much pressure.

Saladin, Trugan and Erika leapt to their feet as the knight commander went down on one knee and bowed his head.

"I beg you," said Valkron. "Please."

Enriel motioned at the other three to sit down, and then turned so that he was facing Valkron on his chair. He got to his feet. Valkron did not raise his head.

Much to his surprise, a pair of gentle hands gripped his arms and pulled him up. He found himself looking into Enriel's eyes.

"Valkron," said the supervisor, "what makes you think I'd fire or demote Sagna? I know he belongs here. He's never been happier here. Do you think these people," he waved a hand at the other three knights, "would allow me to even move his seat from here? I know Sagna will find his greatest support in this department, and I will be ready for him. We all will be."

He patted Valkron on the shoulder. "You don't have to put such a heavy burden on yourself. We care for him too, you know."

"I'd never let him go home disappointed," said Trugan, from behind them. "This is his home. Anyone who thinks otherwise will face a spear in the eye!"

Although he sounded pompous - which he always did because of his strange, proud accent - Valkron knew he meant it. They meant it.

"It's time you stopped worrying about other people and started thinking about yourself," said Enriel gently.

"I know, I know." Valkron half-smiled.

He did not bring himself to say it, but Enriel probably knew it as well - that Valkron loved Sagna as if he was his son.

* * *

Lucius knocked on the door of Vineis' office. He had been putting off the visit since the wizard had returned shortly after the events in the Chivalry. Vineis had heard what happened - and cancelled everything, even his own research. Lucius was wary of the wizard's behaviour, although he knew he should have been there for Vineis earlier.

There was no answer. The assassin knocked again.

"Come in."

Vineis' voice was like a spear of ice. Lucius winced, but he was not going to back down. He opened the door carefully and looked in.

The wizard was sitting on the windowsill of one of the windows in his room. He was looking out of it. Lucius slipped in and shut the door before going to stand near the desk.

After a while, Vineis said, "You were there when she got killed."

"Yes, Vineis."

"You left her to see Valkron."

"Yes, Vineis." What was the point of hiding it?

"And you admit to that?" asked the wizard, turning his head to look at Lucius.

"I am not afraid to tell the truth, Vineis," answered the assassin evenly.

Vineis gazed at him. Then he raised his right hand. He had tucked in three of his fingers; the two that could be seen were his index finger and his forefinger.

In between them was a piece of paper. In growing horror, Lucius recognised it to be an order of expulsion.

"I hereby order your expulsion from the Black Cross on charges of negligence of responsibility," he said. "Be gone from the premises by _today_. I do not wish to ever see you again in the Valkyrie Realms, let alone in Gondul."

"V-Vineis, you cannot do this!" protested Lucius, but the wizard cut across him.

"And why can't I? I ordered you to keep an eye on Alya during my absence! I told you to protect her from anyone who would try to have their revenge on her! And you actually ask for help from the old tutor of the man who killed my wife? I will not stand such insolence in my guild!"

"Vineis, Valkron did not ask Sagna to do it--"

"I ask you, one last time," said Vineis, in a dangerous tone, "leave the Valkyrie Realms and never return while the Black Cross reigns here."

Lucius knew he had lost the battle. The wizard was getting angry, and he knew what would happen if Vineis got angry. It was something he did not want to see, ever again.

Although he was frustrated, he still bowed respectfully to Vineis before turning to go. He felt saddened now. Vineis was on his own from now on - and he doubted the wizard would survive Sheuth's plan.

Before he left, he half-turned to Vineis. "I will say just one thing before I go," he said quietly. "Alya requested help from Valkron, and Valkron promised to help her. If you do not listen to him...this will be the last time you will be the leader of this guild."

Vineis did not answer. Lucius felt angry as well. Did Vineis not care about the people he had taken in and helped over the years?

_Of course he does. He loves them as much as he loved Alya. But now a part of his soul has been taken away from him. What can you expect from that now?_

The assassin sighed. He had done what he could do.

"I am sorry, Vineis," he said softly.

There was a slight movement from the window. Lucius looked up.

Vineis was reaching for the band that kept his long ponytail in place. Lucius's horror, already intensified by Vineis' decision, grew even more until it was almost unbearable.

In one swift movement, the wizard pulled the band off.

As the violet locks of hair succumbed to gravity and fell around his shoulders, Lucius backed up into the door. He groped for the handle, still watching in horror, as the wizard turned to look at him. In the semi-darkness his eyes were like glowing amethysts.

Lucius found the handle and yanked it open. He sprinted out, not daring to look behind him, and slammed the door. He did not stop running until he was out of Gondul.

As he caught his breath at the doors of Gondul, he looked up at the highest floor, where he knew Vineis' office was. He did not have a choice anymore. It was time to go to Valkron. Maybe the knight commander would know how to deal with this.

Because Vineis was gone.

* * *

Sheuth walked along the corridors. He had no idea about how his plan was going. It was something he had never really looked into. For him, if he did not check up on something it generally went well. He'd never actually found out why, but he wasn't going to ask.

Right now he had the last step of the plan to carry out. After that, one thing would follow another, and he would be done with everything.

He stopped outside a door and knocked on it.

"Come in," said someone from inside.

Sheuth waited. He was used to this. A lot of people made a mistake of obeying that voice - well, he wasn't surprised as to why - and often regretted it after they had opened the door. The trick was to let the door be opened from the inside. If it was opened from the inside, then it was safe to go in.

"Come in," said the voice, again.

Several seconds after that, the door opened to reveal Sedir, who was holding a large jar in one hand. "Yes, Sheuth?"

"May I come in?" asked the rogue. "I would like to speak to you."

Sedir disappeared. There were a few clanks and clonks behind the door, and then the priest was back. He stepped aside to let Sheuth pass.

Sedir's room was always in darkness - not because he liked the darkness, but because the work he did had to be done in the dark. He had always grumbled about the poor visibility in his room, but he had no choice. It was that or let the castle be overrun with deformed black spiders.

Sheuth didn't like the smell in the room. He had not had a magical education, but if he had he would have never dared step into Sedir's room in the first place.

"Who was the person who asked me to come in?" he asked. After a moment's pause he added, "This time."

"I accidentally summoned a dark elf from Svartalfheim," said Sedir, looking slightly disgruntled. "I had to banish him. Luckily he wasn't one of the violent, greedy ones - and he knew I could do anything to him if he tried."

"Aren't they a bit impulsive?" asked Sheuth?

"They are, and they'll attack anyone who displeases them. However, I doubt they'd ever attack me. They know me."

Sheuth nodded. Everyone knew Sedir. They just never said it aloud.

"So what do you want to tell me?" asked the priest. "Or what do you want this time? If you ask me to make the powder again I'll blast you out of here."

"No, no, I'm done with the powder," Sheuth hastily replied.

"Good, because I'm not dealing with that nasty stuff again."

"I'd just like to ask you if you've heard of the Raulus.'

"The Guild of the Phoenix? Who hasn't heard about it?" Sedir gave him a look. "Of course I've heard."

"Well then, this might interest you," said Sheuth, watching the priest arrange empty jars and bottles around on a shelf. "The entire senior circle of the Raulus follows Valkron's ideology."

"How is that supposed to interest me?" asked Sedir, as he shifted jars around.

"Valkron calls himself a warrior of the world."

Glass shattered on the floor. Sedir had loosened his grip on a jar, but he didn't seem to notice. He turned on the spot to face Sheuth, who raised his eyebrows.

"They do?" he asked. His voice had taken on an edge.

"Yes. For sure."

Sedir's mouth twisted. Sheuth looked down at his feet and realised he was unconsciously backing off. Like Vineis, Sedir had a temper that could match a giant's. The only difference was that no one wanted to face his magic in his wrath.

"They think _they_ are warriors of the world? Hah!" Sedir growled; Sheuth was sure he saw sparks fly out of his clenched fists. "Well then - if they are what they call themselves they should dodge this pretty easily, then!"

The priest lifted a hand. Large circles emitting blue light flickered into existence around his feet, while deep violet mist rose from the floor and began to swirl around the priest like a lazy vortex. Sheuth backed off this time, covering his nose with his forearm. The smell was becoming stronger, and it was giving him a headache.

Sedir said a few words. Sheuth had no idea what they were, but he did not want to ask. They sounded worse than a wizard's Old Runic, and far more terrifying than any other language he had ever heard. The rogue watched as the mist gathered at Sedir's hand.

Suddenly the remainder of the mist around Sedir twisted itself into separate peaks. They rose into the air, the peaks supported by a long thin pillar of mist - ethereal spears of whirling magic. Sedir was surrounded by them, as if he was behind bars.

The priest spoke again. Sheuth felt a shiver run down his spine and backed off even more. He never wanted to hear those horrible words again, ever.

There was silence. Then the spears fired into the air and shot off into the wall, trailing rings of violet mist. Sedir lowered his hand as the circles and the mist faded away, a grim smile of satisfaction on his face.

"What did you do?" asked Sheuth.

"I gave them a little present," replied Sedir. "A little present they can't get rid of unless they come and see me. Which is highly impossible."

* * *

Lucius finally reached Britoniah after finding his way through the thick forest that surrounded Geffen. He was still considering his decision to ask Valkron for help, but he knew there was nothing he could do on his end. It probably would look less bleak - and maybe there was some hope left.

He was making his way to Repherion, past the entrance to Britoniah, when something like a jab of very sharp lightning zipped through his back. Lucius yelped and stumbled, but he kept going. He was not going to let his back stand in his way. This was something he had to do.

His eyesight blurred, and the world spun around him. Lucius suddenly found that one of his legs had stiffened, but he did not stop moving. He had to almost drag it along as he tried to make it to the gates.

But the pain intensified, until it was almost blinding him. Lucius suddenly felt soil under his hands - he had fallen onto all fours. By now his body felt as if it was being squeezed by two giant hands, and it was getting unbearable.

The last thing he remembered was a pair of hands on his shoulders, before he collapsed.

* * *

When Lucius woke, the first thing he felt was the softness of a mattress under him. He was lying on his stomach on a bed.

Very carefully, he pushed himself off and moved himself upright. The reason for this was because he felt sick and his back ached. The odd thing he noticed was that he felt a lot lighter than before, and his back moved easier than it had been.

He looked around the room. It was quite spacious, and although it seemed bare of any decorations it was clean and neat. It was also very simply furnished - two chairs and a table in a corner, one small bedside table, a sink in another corner, a desk and the bed, which was for one person.

The assassin noticed that on the bedside table next to him someone had left a jug full of water and a few glasses as well as his clothes, neatly folded. He was wearing a long white shirt - a bit too long, he felt - and a pair of loose trousers.

Lucius poured himself a glass of water and drank. The sick feeling in him was beginning to drain away; he felt much better.

Then someone opened the door.

As quick as lightning Lucius had put the glass down. He looked up into the benign face of Samaroh.

"Hello there, Lucius," said the priest. "Drinking, I see? Don't worry, the water here's for you. You've recovered well."

"Yes, but it will happen again when I do not expect it," said Lucius warily, picking up the glass.

"No, it won't. I've eliminated the cause."

The glass stopped halfway to Lucius' mouth.

"You see, you were suffering from a nerve compressed to your spine," said the priest. "I carefully got it out from there. If I had cut it off you would have permanent paralysis in one leg."

"But it is incurable!"

"Not to Physic it isn't."

Lucius gaped at him. "How did you know--?"

"I read about the symptoms. Nocturne was on patrol today, so he was watching you. He told me what happened. Actually, a compressed nerve doesn't actually affect your brain that much, but I believe that you were born with very acute senses...?"

"Well, yes," said Lucius reluctantly.

"Ah. You are sensitive to many things, including pain. Now, a compressed nerve would simply give you, in your case, back pain, a numb sensation and maybe temporary paralysis. But because you are hypersensitive the pain affected the part of your brain that affects vision and balance. So by carefully moving out - which wasn't as hard as I thought it would be - I have liberated you from what could be a lifetime of back pain and fainting." Samaroh sat back, beaming.

Lucius stared at him, unaware that his mouth was open. "I did not understand anything of that."

"Never mind. Come on, drink up. You'll be up and about soon, and Hlin - our Kafra - will give you your dinner soon. If you need any help you can find any of the members by just grabbing someone who looks like they work here and asking." The priest got to his feet.

"Wait!" said Lucius. "I need to see Valkron!"

"You need to see Valkron?" asked Samaroh.

"Yes! It is urgent!"

"Very well then, I'll send him up. Just wait for a while."

'A while' equated itself to exactly twelve minutes, before the door opened. Valkron walked in and shut the door. Lucius was struck by how tired he looked.

"Yes, Lucius?" he said, as he sat down. "Samaroh told me you wanted to see me."

"Yes, I did," said the assassin. "I have been expelled."

There was silence. Valkron didn't even look capable of answering, so Lucius continued, "Now Sheuth is closing in, and Vineis is still blind to his actions. The Black Cross needs your help, Valkron."

"Oh?" said Valkron. "Then I believe they could help with this."

He held out his hand. Lucius looked at it. At first he could not see anything, but then he suddenly realised there was a strange deep purple mist around his hand.

"It came several days ago, and it hasn't left us." Valkron sighed. "I believe it's giving us endless bad luck. This is because Samaroh has been removed from his position at the Church, Amaru's losing customers, Iruna's getting less recognition from others..."

"How did you know the Black Cross did this?" asked Lucius, staring at his hand. "This is the work of Sedir."

"Well, our wizard isn't a wizard for nothing. He traces the magical signature and matches it to people he thinks has that signature. It's not hard to find out because this," Valkron held up his hand, "is dark magic."

Lucius nodded. "Sedir uses dark magic, but his is different from the dark magic everyone knows. His is a kind of magic based--"

"--on emotions," said Emeth's voice, from the door. Both of them turned to see the wizard leaning against the door.

"Care to tell Lucius how you found out?" Valkron asked him. "He looks astounded."

"I research magic and the different kinds available," explained Emeth. "My current study involves whether magic is manipulated by intentions, or if it already exists as different kinds. Both theories are correct, but there is less pure magic than there is with different kinds - which means we're pretty limited. Anyway, dark magic has its own sub-types, and one of them is based on emotions. It already is dark magic, but the intensity of the spells used depends on the strength of the emotions."

"Do you need someone to simplify that?" Valkron asked Lucius.

"I...no. I have lived long enough with Vineis to understand magic. But what makes you think you can find Sedir? Vineis will never let you meet him."

"Well, his magic has given us something of a curse," said Valkron. "So I intend to meet him and make him remove the heavy spell. We're already tired and stressed as it is, and we don't need further trouble."

Lucius said nothing for a few minutes. Finally he opened his mouth and said slowly, "If I was still part of the Black Cross, I would have said no. But because you have helped me, I will repay you."

"If you want it to be that way, then I can't stop you," replied Valkron, holding up his hands.

"Could you make it a bit faster, please?" asked Emeth. "This stuff, frankly, stinks."

"I will not be able to do much, let alone force my way back into the Valkyrie Realms," said Lucius, still in the slow, same tone. "But there are people who can help you. I am not too sure if you want to be with them, however."

"Just tell us and we'll decide that," said Emeth.

Lucius looked up at them. "You will need the influence of three people to get through. Most of the Black Cross does not even know I exist, but everyone fears these three. However, to save your time, you should meet only one of them."

"Which is?"

"Zweihaender."

There was silence. Then Valkron said, "That's fine. We'll know where to find him, too."

"Are you sure?" asked Lucius, slightly taken aback.

"Yes."

"Well then, looks like it would be a great time for us, barging into Gondul and all," remarked Emeth. "Just to speak to Vineis too. And I sincerely hope it won't get any worse."

He was wrong.

* * *

I hate Microsoft Word 2007. Thanks to it there were little square boxes scattered throughout my document that come from nowhere (I checked my original document).

Also, there might be a little delay in getting the rest of the chapters out. School's started.


	68. Vineis

Chapter 68  
**Vineis**

Iruna looked up from her work. "You want to see _who?_"

"Zweihaender," replied Valkron.

The crusader actually gaped at him. To most people this was not surprising, but for Valkron it was. Iruna was generally not surprised by anything.

After a short pause, he added, "I mean what I said."

The crusader shut her book and got to her feet. "And why in the world would you want to see the man who proposed to me first?"

Valkron rolled his eyes. "Iruna, I'm not thinking about that. Right now everything depends on Zweihaender."

"Even me?"

"I never imagined I'd ever say this to that sort of question, but yes."

Iruna looked apprehensive. "Are you sure about this, Valkron? Why do you want to see him?"

"Because he's the only person who can persuade his two comrades to help us with talking to Vineis," replied the knight. "You might go and tell me to just see Adonis, but Adonis doesn't know much compared to Zweihaender."

"You could always ask the senior circle."

"None of them can be found, Iruna," said Valkron solemnly. "Lucius has tried to contact all of them, but they can't be found. I don't think they even want to step into the Valkyrie Realms, let alone talk about them."

"And what makes you think Zweihaender isn't like them?"

"Because I say so."

They turned to see Lucius behind them. He was walking towards them slowly, wrapping his arms with strips of linen.

"Zweihaender is different from us, and so are Arlena and Oripheus. The three of them have earned acknowledgement from the kingdom, and thus they are not so forgiving. You might say that they are overconfident and proud."

"Nice people to mix with," Valkron remarked sarcastically.

"However," Lucius glanced at the knight, "like every human, they have something they dislike in society. Zweihaender, for example, dislikes people who abuse power given to them. Arlena dislikes men who hold grudges for no reason. Oripheus dislikes people who brag and say that 

they are better without any proof. They are human, I assure you, and it will be easier to convince them."

"And how do I do that?" asked Valkron. "With what you've given me? Tell them that Vineis abuses power, holds a grudge against others for no reason and brags? Because I know he isn't, and they know it too."

"Valkron, I expected you to be a lot more shrewd than this," said the assassin, somewhat disgruntled.

"You want us to refer to Sheuth, then?" asked Iruna. "Because the way I see it, it's him pulling the strings, isn't it?"

"If that's the case, then I actually wonder if this was part of Sheuth's plan," Valkron mused aloud.

"What part of the plan?"

"This. You coming to see me and helping me out to get to Vineis."

"Sheuth would never have wanted me to come to you and help you out," said Lucius. "I know that for certain. He also would have never expected it. Out of all of us, only Sheuth does not know that Alya came to you for help."

"And now you." Valkron sighed and turned back to Iruna. "Iruna?"

She sighed. "Fine, I'll bring you there. Do you think you might need some backup?"

"I should think so."

"All right. I bet you can get Emeth and Adiemus, no problem there-"

"Adiemus is not talking to me, if you want to know," Valkron said heavily. "Please don't tell me that. I'll bring Emeth, Khan, Amaru and Samaroh. Are you coming along as well, Lucius?"

"Obviously, yes."

"All right then. Lead the way, Iruna."

* * *

The Order of Juno was not very busy that day. Many of the crusaders were off preaching, now that the bad weather was gone. However, Valkron noticed that even if there were people around, they withdrew into the shadows as the little group passed them. It was as if the dark magic whirling around them was driving back the ordinary humans.

They found Zweihaender in the library, copying a passage from an ancient tome.

"Right," whispered Iruna, when they were about ten shelves away. "Do you want me to tell you about him again?"

"Go ahead."

"Zweihaender doesn't like people being rude to him, or being superior to him. He strongly opposes anyone who comes and disturbs him. If someone does something for no reason, he can get quite angry. These are just a few things he can get upset about," she added, "so I hope I've told you all the important bits you need to know. Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Do I have a choice?" he asked.

"Well...no, not really."

"There you go." Valkron sighed. "All or nothing. Let's go."

Zweihaender did not look up from his work as they approached him. Iruna seemed t hesitate every few paces, but Valkron kept heading purposefully towards the violet-haired crusader, and there was nothing she could do.

He was still writing when they were standing in front of him, such was his concentration. Valkron watched for a while. Then, very abruptly, he yanked the book Zweihaender was writing in up to his face.

The crusader looked up, an enraged expression on his face.

"Hm..." Valkron looked through the pages, ignoring the long extension of the word Zweihaender had been in the process of writing out when he had been rudely interrupted. "I've always wanted to know what crusaders do when they aren't preaching."

"VALKRON!" Zweihaender's bellow was like the blast of a foghorn. "WHAT THE _HELL_ DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"

The knight squeezed his eyes shut for a few seconds. The shout had been so powerful he had felt the force of the sound hit his head - twice. It was still echoing through the empty recesses of the library.

He glanced at Iruna, and raised an eyebrow. She had stuffed her fingers into her ears, most likely when Valkron had whipped the book away.

"Sorry, I forgot to tell you about that," she said meekly, removing her fingers from her ears.

Later on he noticed some books from the higher shelves had actually fallen off.

"Impressive," he said, putting the book back down on the table. "Men with a temper like yours can easily instil fear in the hearts of the opposing warriors with just one shout."

Zweihaender mouthed wordlessly for a few seconds at this, and then eventually sighed and said, rather coldly, "What do you want, Valkron?"

Iruna gently pushed her husband aside. "We need your help, Zwei," she said. "It's urgent."

At the sight of her the violet-haired crusader jumped. "W-What? What's so urgent that you have to see me?"

"We need to find somewhere to talk, Iruna," Valkron said to her. "Any ideas?"

"Sure."

* * *

The place she chose was an abandoned astronomy observatory that served as the dome above the library. The roof was partially closed to allow light in, but it was still fairly dark.

Zweihaender somehow couldn't look directly at Iruna. Valkron noticed that his eyes kept flickering to and from Iruna, and that he kept hesitating whenever she spoke to him. Although Valkron was not jealous - he knew Iruna had already made her choice, and she was not going to look back on it - he felt slightly edgy over this and wondered if she actually knew.

Once they had settled down, Zweihaender, in a more focused tone, asked, "So why do you want to see me?"

"We need your help getting into the Valkyrie Realms," replied Iruna, even before Valkron could open his mouth.

Zweihaender frowned. "You are going to use me to find out the weaknesses of the agits in the Valkyrie Realms?"

"No," answered Valkron, before Iruna could say anything else. "We just want you to help us make our way through to the Black Cross' flag castle."

"The Black Cross doesn't have a flag castle," Zweihaender said politely. "That is a mercenary concept. Whatever for?"

"To see Vineis."

"And why?"

"In order to get Sedir to remove his dark magic from us."

The violet-haired crusader raised an eyebrow. "Ah, so that explains the smell."

"Please, Zwei," said Iruna quickly, before Valkron had the time to retort on that. "Please."

Zweihaender sighed. "Give me one good reason why I should let you into my old guild area."

"Because Sheuth is abusing the power Vineis gave to him," said Valkron, somewhat coldly. "Because you know you support Vineis, but Sheuth is on the warpath and you want to be there to protect him. Lucius overlooked you, didn't he?"

"Valkron, I--" began Lucius.

Zweihaender held up a hand, immediately silencing the assassin. He was staring at Valkron, and he did so for a long time. Finally he folded his arms across his chest - he was not wearing his armour - and said, "And what if I refuse?"

"We see the Black Cross fall," Valkron said.

"And what makes you think I'd support the Black Cross?"

Valkron sighed. This was something Iruna had told him about. Zweihaender had an irritating habit of buying time when he had already made up his mind - as if he was trying to dissuade the person he was talking to. However, she had not figured how to stop Zweihaender from doing this.

He was used to this, on the other hand.

"If you're not going to say what you want to do straight out this very minute, you're going to lose your respect as a supporter of the Black Cross," he snapped at Zweihaender. "And that's coming from me. It's not a matter of whether you support it or not because we all damn well know you do. Stop beating around the bush and get down to business."

The faces of Lucius, Iruna, Emeth, Khan, Samaroh and Amaru were a sight worth paying to see. Even Zweihaender looked taken aback by this sudden outburst of annoyance.

"I...well, I..."

"You what?" Valkron snapped, still not in a good mood. "Spit it out, soldier!"

Zweihaender reddened. "I am not your student!"

"No, but you're the age to be one!" Valkron took a deep breath. "Stand at attention!"

The voice must have triggered something in Zweihaender's mind - something associated with drill training. He actually sprang off the chair and stood to attention.

"All right, all right, stop torturing him," said Iruna, grabbing Zweihaender's wrist and yanking him back down. "You have limits, you know."

"He's got limits fooling around with me," said Valkron grumpily.

Zweihaender looked at his wrist, where Iruna had held it, and sighed. "You win, Valkron. I will go and talk to Arlena and Oripheus."

"Can you convince them?"

"Why ask me that question? I may be the unofficial leader, but it does not mean they always listen to me." Zweihaender got to his feet. "Expect a few days for a letter to come by falcon."

* * *

It took only a day after a meeting. Nocturne was the one who received the falcon and took the message to Valkron.

Valkron unrolled the little scroll and read it.

"What does it say?" asked Emeth, as they watched him.

"'Valkryie Realms, Woden's Day, one hour prior to War of Emperium'. Odd." Valkron frowned.

"What is?"

"This isn't Zweihaender's handwriting."

"How would you know?" asked Iruna, looking mystified. "_I_ don't even know how his handwriting looks like."

"When I took his book from him I wasn't just doing it on purpose, Iruna," said the knight, looking at her. "I took a look at his handwriting and his style, too - well, before he yelled at me."

"Let me see that," said Emeth suspiciously. Valkron obligingly handed the scroll to him.

"So how does Zwei's writing look like, then?" asked the wizard, as he scrutinised the handwriting.

"Elegant but small and rounded."

"And this was written with a hand of someone who is used to scribbling notes down on a handy piece of paper somewhere. You learn a lot of things as a wizard," he added, seeing Valkron's face.

"So you're suggesting...?"

"Oripheus wrote this." Emeth lowered the paper. "I think Zwei's succeeded in persuading them."

"We'll find that out when we get to the Valkyrie Realms the day after tomorrow," said Valkron, taking the scroll from him. "In the meantime...I'll have to tell you the plans I made for the day."

"You were actually expecting him to do it?" asked Iruna, flabbergasted.

"No, I expected him to be a man of his word." Valkron beckoned to them. They were in the meeting room, but they drew closer all the same.

"I'm going alone."

"Going into the lion's den again, Valkron?" said Samaroh wearily. "Can't stop you, I guess."

Valkron gave him a look, and then continued, "You can come if you want. However, I'm not going to be armed, and I'm certainly not going to be wearing armour."

"Why?" everyone asked him, alarmed.

"Because I want to show them that it's clear I'm not there to fight," explained the knight. "No hostilities, no weapons. Like Adiemus said, those who desire war prepare for war. I don't want to fight, so why should I prepare myself to fight?"

"Just in case someone tries to hit you first?" asked Nocturne nervously.

"Well...that's a good point," admitted Valkron. "But there is a lot more to fighting than sharp edged weapons and armour. I'm not one to brag, but I think I can safely face a few enthusiastic defenders."

"It won't be _a few_, Valkron," said Iruna, still looking alarmed. "It will be _many_."

"Not discouraging me."

"Maybe this might," said Lucius, who had been staying with them for the whole time. "Vineis has untied his hair."

The reception he got wasn't what he quite expected. There was silence, and everyone was giving him a very similar look.

"Do you not understand the severity of the situation?" he asked, clearly annoyed.

"We don't know Vineis as well as you do," said Emeth.

Lucius sighed. "It means that Vineis is angry. If you understand, none of us want him to be angry. No one can calm him down now."

"And what does he do when he's angry?" asked Valkron. "Which makes him so feared, that is."

"He loses all sense of reason and has no sympathy for anyone who does not see his point of view," answered Lucius. "In other words, he is, as we say, 'not human'."

There was silence. For a long time.

Eventually Valkron said, "Do I have a choice, Lucius?"

"No."

"Then I'll just have to face it, then." The knight looked away.

Iruna stepped forward and gently pushed Lucius - and several other people behind him - away. "Leave the room. Now."

"Why?" asked Lucius, as the others obediently filed out.

"Just go, Lucius. Don't ask. You don't want to know."

When everyone had left, Iruna firmly shut the door and went over to Valkron. She pulled out a chair behind him. "Sit down."

The knight sat down, staring at the table. Iruna drew up a chair, sat next to him and held his hands. He had gone deathly white.

"Are you all right, Valkron?" she asked, although she already knew the answer.

"Why does everything have to happen now?" he whispered. "There's no chance. No chance at all."

Iruna kept quiet. Valkron had refused to tell her what he could see, but he had already explained to her. She didn't know what was troubling him, but she knew why it was happening to him.

"We're going to lose," he said, still in his deathly whisper. "We're going to die. This isn't going to succeed."

"But we still have to do it," said Iruna. "Better than sitting around waiting for the end."

She hugged him. "And I'll be with you whatever happens."

* * *

And so Valkron set off alone, at 1.30 pm on Woden's Day to the Valkyrie Realms.

However, about fifteen minutes later, the entire senior guild of the Raulus warped off to Prontera, including Lucius.

Valkron met Zweihaender just outside the gates of Prontera Castle. The ground floor of the castle was just a transition point between the city and the area; the rest of the floors above it were off limits. With him were Oripheus and a sulking Arlena.

"You are going in like that?" asked the crusader, raising his eyebrows.

Valkron looked down at himself. He was wearing a knee-length tunic belted up at the waist. There was nothing metallic around him save for the buckle on his belt, and he had absolutely no weapons.

"Well, yes," he said.

"If someone attacks you?"

"I trust you to keep me safe."

"Why do we have to help them get in?" asked Arlena sourly. "We're not on their side!"

"No, but they are the only ones who can save the Black Cross," answered Zweihaender, looking at her. "You do want to see the Black Cross whole and not at the mercy of Sheuth, do you?"

"Well..."

"And you certainly don't want to let Vineis sink into his current state even more, do you? He was the only one who recognised your talents and invited you into the Black Cross."

Arlena looked down at her feet, sulk gone.

"Don't mind her, she doesn't mean what she says," Zweihaender explained to Valkron.

"And Oripheus?"

"I will work with you as long as you do not shun or avoid me," said the sage quietly. "That's it."

"Right now I'm placing all three of you under temporary membership," Valkron told them. "But even if you weren't I don't think my guild would do that to you. They hold respect for people whoever they are."

"And what about you?"

"What I believe in, they believe in," replied Valkron.

Oripheus looked surprised, but he said nothing in response to this. Zweihaender nodded.

"Shall we leave? Ah, I see your guild has arrived."

Valkron turned around. The others were walking up to where they were standing, looking around nervously.

"We're working with them?" asked Eni, when they reached where the four of them were standing.

"Yes. If you don't want to then leave."

No one said a thing. Then Emeth, who had not heard anything of the brief exchange between Eni and Valkron, detached himself from the crowd. "Hey, Oripheus."

The sage raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"What do you mean, what? Why can't I say hi?" Emeth gave the sage a slap on the back that made him cough. "It's not like I'm going to kill you."

"I thought you were going to speak to me."

"Nah. It's good to see you, that's all."

Oripheus' face was a prize winner. Valkron chuckled, despite himself - but he knew what he had to do.

And he knew what was going to happen.

"All right, I know it's bad of me to spoil the atmosphere now, but we should go," he said to the others. "So are you ready?"

"'Bad' is an understatement!" shouted Nocturne from the back. There was a brief ripple of laughter.

"Yeah, I think we're ready," said Emeth, looking at the rest. "We're prepared for an attack or an attempted assassination on you, in any case."

Valkron clapped him on the back. "Always looking on the bright side, eh? I can always count on you to bring a bit of light to the end of the path."

"Yeah, whatever," said Emeth, but Valkron knew the wizard was glad he'd said it.

_And soon it'll be your turn_, he thought.

* * *

The members of the Black Cross were shocked to see such a small force trooping into the Valkyrie Realms. The horns hadn't sounded yet, and there was already a contender.

Except that its leader, known for making surprise invasions on others, was not wearing armour or wielding any weapon.

They watched in surprise, many jaws hanging open as Valkron walked several metres ahead of his guild, intent only on reaching Gondul. The rest hung back and watched him go, only moving a few steps forward at a time. The War of Emperium had not started, and therefore no one could attack each other for now. But would the Raulus actually attack the Black Cross? They were walking straight into the tiger's mouth!

In silence Valkron walked on, looking straight ahead. Heads turned to watch him as he walked past, while hands gripped a variety of weapons and began to slowly move...

There was a ripple of sound as the horns sounded. Before the mighty blast even had time to fade three assassins, one blacksmith and two rogues were sprinting for Valkron.

The knight did not change direction or look around. Instead, it was Emeth who cast a massive ice wall in their way. Iruna threw her shield at the assassins, who quickly leapt away. Nocturne fired an arrow into the sky; it came back down as a shower of arrows.

And Valkron still walked on, unarmed and unprotected. The Black Cross hesitated, looking carefully at the small force behind him. They were not moving. It seemed that only if the Black Cross moved, then the Raulus would move.

A hunter aimed an arrow at Valkron and fired. Iruna raised her hand to throw her shield, but Zweihaender stopped her. As she looked up in surprise, he shook his head at her and cast Sacrifice - on Valkron.

The arrow merely grazed Valkron's shoulder, but Zweihaender felt the pain. Valkron continued to walk, jaw set, towards the doors of Gondul. As he drew near, a large group of blacksmiths blocked his way, led by one particular blacksmith - Finnagan.

"What do you want, Valkron?" he said harshly. "Gondul is off limits to all except the members of the Black Cross."

"Is that so?" said Valkron. "I didn't know that the Black Cross was so exclusive to the people of the kingdom. Well, if that's the case...then I'll stand out here and wait for Vineis."

"Vineis?" said Finnagan, slightly thrown off course. "Why would you want to see Vineis?"

"One of his senior circle members has given us an affliction we can't get rid of without him. I just want to ask for permission to see said member."

Finnagan blinked. "Stay right there."

Valkron watched as the blacksmiths congregated. He noticed the knights at one side - the notorious Black Cavalry Force - were not looking at him. He knew they would not dare defend Gondul against him if he tried to enter it now, but he wasn't going to force his way in.

Eventually the blacksmiths separated, and Finnagan came out. He said, "You wait here. I'll go and see Vineis. If you try to enter without permission, or attack one of us...we'll see to it that you don't breathe again."

"A threat of death?" Valkron sneered genteelly. "Is that all you can offer? Anyway, I'll do what you say because this is your turf. You call the shots."

And very calmly he folded his arms and stood there in front of Finnagan.

The blacksmith was clearly taken aback by this passive behaviour, but he hurried off anyway. Valkron waited as the members of the Black Cross around the courtyard watched him warily, weapons at hand.

Finally Finnagan appeared at the top of the steps leading to the great doors of Gondul. He hurried down them and whispered urgently to the blacksmiths around the door. They immediately parted, while Finnagan stood to one side respectfully.

Valkron looked up the steps. The sun was shining brightly - too brightly, because it was partially blinding him. He squinted a little and watched the top of the steps.

At first a silhouette appeared in the darkness of the doorframe. Then it solidified and resolved itself into the wizard.

Valkron raised an eyebrow. Vineis with his long hair untied no longer looked like an aristocrat. There was something about him now that reminded Valkron of Argath Iruvedla - maybe it was the thin, unsympathetic face, maybe it was the long, chopped violet hair reaching down to his chest. Either way, he did not look like the guild leader everyone spoke of as someone to be proud of.

The knight steeled himself as Vineis walked down the steps, the wizard's eyes dark chips of purple fire. He was a guild leader, he told himself. It was something he had to do.

When Vineis reached him, Valkron was making a lot of effort not to lean away from the wizard. He could feel a coldness pouring off the wizard that he had never felt before, and somehow he was starting to think this wasn't a good idea.

But that was part of the plan, wasn't it? That was what he knew.

He looked straight into Vineis' eyes. Everyone gasped.

"What do you want, Valkron?" Vineis asked coldly.

Valkron had never heard such a voice before, either. It was like hard steel, and colder than anything else he had ever felt. The Vineis Valkron knew wasn't even there - this was a different Vineis. He had a feeling that this was the Vineis who had sent the Raulus the eyeball, not the other one.

"I wish to speak to Sedir," he said calmly.

"Why do you want to speak to him?"

"He has cast a spell on us, and we would kindly like him to remove it so that we can get on with our lives."

There was silence. Then Vineis said, "_You_? Get on with your lives? So says the man who instructed his ex-student to take the life of my wife?"

Valkron sighed. This was not getting anywhere.

"I did not ask Sagna to kill her," he said evenly. "It was someone else. I would like us to stay on track."

Vineis looked down the tip of his nose at Valkron. "Are you trying to deny that you are the one behind everything?"

"_No_, Vineis," said Valkron wearily, inwardly adding: stop being so persistent. "I wish merely to speak to Sedir. Please, Vineis."

"Hah! Please!" Vineis' voice was harsh. "What are you, begging for my sympathy? I will have none of it here on the steps of Gondul!"

_He's mad_, though Valkron, staring at him. _He really is mad._

The wizard's eyes narrowed. "Get out of here, Valkron. You use the people from my own guild to get in here and request something of the Black Cross' most powerful priest? I am amazed at your lack of respect!"

"If you've noticed, half your senior circle is gone--"

"And what does it matter to you if it is? Trying to distract me from your own dirty tricks? Leave!"

"Vineis, I have no intention apart from clearly explaining to you the situation--"

The wizard suddenly struck Valkron across the face with his staff. Members of the Black Cross and the Raulus alike took a step back in shock, all staring at the two men.

"One last time," he said. "One last time. Leave the Valkyrie Realms. I do not ever want to see you again. Get out before I take drastic measures."

Valkron stayed where he was. Then, very slowly, he turned his back on Vineis and walked back to where the Raulus was standing. Iruna reached out for his face, where a very long, deep red mark was starting to materialise, but he pushed her hand away.

"Vineis," he said, "when will you realise that some people you love...are not the people you should trust?"

"That's IT!"

A magical shockwave exploded through the area. People flung their arms up to their faces as the powerful wind passed.

"I've had enough of you, Valkron!" Vineis roared, above the howling wind of the magical aura whipping around him. "Having the nerve to come here and ask me for my priest! I see no reason why I should let you go! Close in on them!"

But no one did. Vineis looked around him. The knight turned around, the red mark across his face now more like a scar; it was bleeding in several places.

"Very well," he said, raising his staff. "It looks like I don't have a choice, do I?"

No one moved. Valkron gazed at him, his green eyes steady and unflickering.

"Besides," the wizard smiled mirthlessly, "it's been a long time since I did something like this."

He shot forward so fast he was just a blur. At exactly the same moment, Zweihaender shouted, "Valkron!"

The knight turned - and neatly caught the sword in his hands. In one swift movement he was facing the violet blur that was Vineis.

Staff and sword met. The members of both guilds backed off as Valkron and Vineis engaged in a furious flurry of blows, parries and blocks. Yes, there had been plenty of battles where warriors had tussled with each other for the upper hand - but there was no battle that was as _fast_ as this.

They separated. Valkron skidded away from Vineis, aiming his sword. Vineis undid the clasp of his cloak and threw it aside; he lunged forward with amazing speed.

They met again in the middle, dust flying into the air as, with precision, they blocked, defended, dodged and attacked. The pairs of eyes watching them darted around in an attempt to watch their every move, but their owners gave up shortly after.

There are no words to describe the speed and the difficult dance the two warriors fought. It was amazing that Valkron could twirl, manipulate and attack with such a heavy sword; it was incredible that Vineis could move as fast as Valkron and be in such perfect timing with every blow that he could block it.

The two men whirled across the cobbles, their weapons flashing in the air. Every crash and clang vibrated the air; every footstep shook the ground. The circle of people widened as the battle went on; the two men spun, ducked, twirled, skidded and slid across the cobbles as they fought.

Suddenly Valkron backed off. Vineis shot forward; the knight blocked the staff and grabbed Vineis' fist, which had been heading towards his midriff. With a grunt and a powerful twist of his wrist he sent Vineis flying.

The wizard kicked out at Valkron in mid-air. The knight ducked; Vineis' shoe whipped over his head. Vineis landed deftly and aimed another punch at him.

Valkron caught it and yanked Vineis to him. The wizard freed himself from Valkron's grasp and kicked out at Valkron's head. The knight instantly caught the shoe on his forearm, twisted his hand around Vineis' ankle and yanked Vineis to him again.

In one swift movement Valkron had thrown Vines over his shoulder. The wizard landed lightly on the floor and pivoted on one hand, sending his foot up into Valkron's stomach. The knight stumbled.

Vineis somersaulted back onto his feet. Valkron skimmed his fingers along the flat of the blade of his sword; the blade burst into fire. Leaving a fiery red streak behind he swiped at Vineis.

The wizard did a graceful backflip to avoid the flaming sword. His open palm shot out at Valkron.

A row of ice spikes erupted from the ground. Valkron swung his sword and slammed into the cobbles. The ice met the fire, and there was a mighty explosion. Out of the smoke Vineis appeared and blocked the incoming sword of Valkron.

Everyone watched breathlessly as the two men battle ferociously. No one could do anything. No one _dared_ do anything. A battle beyond imagination was happening right in front of them; and to help would be suicide.

Suddenly everything stopped. Valkron and Vineis were four feet apart, facing each other. They were breathing hard.

There was a little sound of cracking glass. Everyone watched in horror as the lines ran throughout Vineis' monocle - before the glass shattered.

The tinkle of the metal frame hitting the cobbles was the only sound that echoed through the courtyard.

"You've gone very far, Valkron," said Vineis.

"I didn't choose to fight, Vineis," replied Valkron.

"Too bad." Vineis wiped the blood away from the cut his monocle had made in his skin, such was his concentration. "You can't go back now."

Valkron felt the sting, and winced slightly. Vineis had left a cut across his face. Everything had happened so fast none of them had even managed to notice the effects of their fight.

The wizard smiled grimly. Valkron was suddenly struck by his right eye. It did not look right. No eye would have a shred right across it, above the iris.

"Welcome to hell," Vineis said.

Afterwards Valkron truly regretted his choice.

Vineis blurred. Valkron was caught unawares; a fist like a ball of lead hit him in the stomach. He rolled across the ground before staggering back onto his feet, wincing as his stomach burned.

The wizard lunged forward with his staff. Valkron blocked his move, but the blows kept coming...and coming...and coming. There was no end to Vineis' crazed fighting. Valkron felt his body unable to react apart from blocking. His muscles screamed as every impact shocked them more and more, one after the other, never stopping.

_What is wrong with Vineis?_ thought Valkron desperately. _Even Emeth doesn't fight like this, and he's got golden eyes! Vineis fights like a madman!_

Vineis grabbed him by the throat and slammed him onto the ground. Valkron felt the warm, salty taste in his mouth as blood flew out; he had bit his tongue. Immediately his arm reached up and wrenched Vineis's hand off; he kicked out hard and sent Vineis speeding away across the ground.

The wizard crouched, ready for another round. Valkron spat out blood and concentrated, aiming his sword at Vineis. He had to fight back. He had no choice.

All this...for his guild.

Suddenly there was a hasty scuffle at the back of the crowd as people got out of the way. Vineis and Valkron looked towards the commotion.

Prontera guards streamed in from the gap in the crowd, separating the two men from them. As soon as the circle of guards was complete, in stepped in a very familiar person - a man with floppy, straw yellow hair and blue eyes.

"I hereby announce that the War of Emperium has been cancelled," he said, in a clear voice. "All fighting amongst guilds must be halted immediately. That is an _order_."

"Why is he here?" Iruna whispered to Emeth.

"I have no idea," replied the red-haired wizard.

The two men, still poised to strike at each other, watched as the King's Guild Correspondent strode up to them. When he reached them, he stopped and struck the ground with his official staff. A black seal appeared under the tip of his staff and dissolved away.

"Vineis," he said, "you and your guild are hereby placed under suspension from all guild activities until further notice. Your Guild Approval stamp has been placed under hold. You have been given the order to attend the session at the Prontera Royal Court on the Day of the Earth, two in the afternoon."

He turned to Valkron. "Valkron, you and your guild are also hereby placed under suspension from all guild activities until further notice. Your Guild Approval stamp has been withdrawn, and you must attend the session at the Prontera Royal Court on the Day of the Earth, two in the afternoon."

"Very well," Valkron answered.

Seyren looked at him in the eye. "I have a warrant for you, Valkron. You are also under arrest."

"_What?_" shouted the Raulus from behind.

Valkron swallowed. "Under what charges?"

"Those will be brought to light during the court session," said Seyren smoothly. "You are now in the custody of the Prontera guards."

"Wait!" shrieked Iruna, freeing herself from Emeth's grasp. She ran towards Valkron and threw her arms around him, holding him tightly to her as if she had never held him before.

The knight put his arms around her as well. "Don't worry, Iruna," he whispered into her ear. "Come and see me on the morning of the court session. I will talk to all of you then. I'll be fine."

He moved out of Iruna's grasp. As the crusader stared at him, he threw his sword back at Zweihaender, who caught it. On the other side, Adonis was having a hard time holding back Valkron's peco, which he had used to get to Prontera Castle earlier on. The bird was honking desperately and tugging at its reins.

"No, Evlor," said Valkron, from where he stood. He held out a hand, palm outwards, at the peco. "Stay."

The peco honked one more time, and then subsided into subdued silence. Valkron nodded to the others, who were gaping at him, and let the Prontera guards take him away.

* * *

I will NOT be releasing chapters 69 and 70 one by one. They will be released together. It will take longer to write, as you can imagine.

And yes, chapter 70 is the end.


	69. Path of the Phoenix

Chapter 69  
**Path of the Phoenix**

That night Valkron leaned against the damp, cold stone wall and looked up at the ceiling. It was covered in dank-smelling moss; an occasional insect scuttled across the stone as he looked.

He wondered why this was happening. Of course he knew it would happen, but why? Were they...just not meant to set up a guild and recruit others in order to help defend the kingdom?

So many things to do, so little time.

Valkron sighed. The only light he had in his cell came from a tiny, barred window. It was the light of the full moon outside, and he could hear the night time sounds in the nearby forests.

The knight tried to make himself comfortable and wondered if Emeth was out viewing the moon.

* * *

Emeth wasn't. Along with Kushana, Samaroh and the three ex-Black Cross elite leaders, he was sitting in the meeting room and watching his wife comfort Iruna.

"So...it's not exactly rocket science, this guild business?" said Samaroh, eventually. It was that or watch Iruna worry.

"Both guilds have done nothing wrong," said Arlena. According to Zweihaender, she had been picked as an elite leader for her talents and her knowledge on guild laws. "So why would both be under suspension? It doesn't make any sense to me."

"I don't understand it either," said Zweihaender slowly. "Valkron and Vineis have done nothing wrong, judging by their records. Unless someone went and accused both guilds, with proper evidence...but I doubt it."

"What other options do we have?" asked Emeth. "We all know we can't change Seyren's mind unless we have proof that we did nothing wrong...whatever the charges were, because he didn't enlighten us as to the nature of the charges, provided that there are a few."

"We can only know that in court," said Zweihaender, shrugging. "Tomorrow."

"You heard that, Iruna?" Kushana said softly to the blue-haired crusader. "Tomorrow we'll know what happened, and we can defend Valkron against it."

"Yeah, but how can we when we don't have any evidence to back him up?" asked Emeth. Kushana gave him a look that, if possible, would have disintegrated him in seconds.

"He's got a point," said Zweihaender. "Seyren is unmovable - worse than an anchor of a ship in a storm."

"Either way Valkron should be innocent," said Kushana. "Don't look so miserable, Iruna - Valkron will be back. Come on, smile a little."

The crusader did not move.

Emeth frowned. He could sense something pouring off the crusader. Something...familiar.

"Iruna?" he asked gently. "You're scared, aren't you?"

In the silence, the crusader lifted her head. "H-How can you tell?"

"I'm a wizard," Emeth replied calmly. "I can sense things a lot of people can't."

Iruna bowed her head, not looking at any of them. "I'm afraid that Valkron won't come back. I want to be with him. I promised to be with him to the end."

"Don't be so pessimistic, Iruna," said Kushana. "He'll come back, don't you worry--"

"He most likely won't."

Iruna's curt answer silenced Kushana. They stared at her.

"I know what he knows - well, partially," she said. "And he's accepting what's about to happen. I wish it wasn't going to happen. I really wish it wasn't. But it's inevitable."

"What do you think will happen?" asked Zweihaender.

"I don't know."

"That's a first," said the violet-haired crusader, looking slightly taken aback. "You're always so sure of yourself and now you don't know what's going to happen even though you know something bad will happen?"

"Stop it, you," Kushana snapped. "Can't you see she's worried? It doesn't matter whether we know what's going to happen. All we want, right now, is to end everything and go back to living peaceful lives, just like we did before this began."

"Well, if we find out what Valkron's in court for, then we can help him," retorted Samaroh. "Otherwise how can we help?"

Oripheus got to his feet silently and left the room. Emeth watched him go, although the wizard did not move.

"Of course I know that won't happen," Kushana was saying to her brother, when Emeth turned his attention back to them. "I wasn't referring to that! Can't you see I'm trying to lessen the tension here?"

"That's not going to happen so soon," replied Samaroh, folding his arms across his chest. Emeth leaned away a little from the table. When Samaroh did that, it was an open declaration of war.

Kushana groaned. "How can you be so insensitive, Samaroh? What if it was your wife who was going into court? And don't say that won't happen because you don't want to marry and that you're a practically a saint because you're a priest!"

The wizard silently got up from his seat and left the room. Before he did, however, he caught Iruna's eye and smiled comfortingly at her. She smiled back a little, even though she looked deeply worried, and he knew a smile had done for her what words could not.

* * *

Oripheus drifted aimlessly through the ground floor of Repherion, looking around the agit with his usual dull, uninterested expression. When he got tired of it he wandered back to the meeting room.

However, he could still hear the argument going on inside, through the door. He sighed. He had deliberately left the room because he disliked people arguing in front of him over a trivial matter - an issue he had since childhood.

He wandered up the stairs in a bid to get away from the raised voices in the room and found himself near a balcony. He walked out onto it and breathed the crisp spring night air.

After a short while he became aware that he was not alone. He looked around, but there didn't seem to be anyone he could see. He peered at the shadows, but there was nothing there.

"There's a trick to seeing people in the shadows, you know," said a voice from the darkness.

Oripheus jumped and backed off. Emeth stepped out of the shadows.

"What are you doing there, Emeth?" the sage asked, looking slightly disgruntled that he hadn't seen the wizard standing there.

"I'm here because I want to think," replied Emeth. He leaned against the balcony and sighed.

In the silence Oripheus leaned on the balcony as well. Their view was a spread of the forest, along with a sliver of the massive river and part of Merseitzdeitz. In the bluish white light of the moon, the landscape looked eerily sinister.

"You know, I like looking at the moon," said Emeth, after a while. "But today I just don't feel like it."

"Why do you look at the moon?" asked Oripheus.

"Because it's beautiful. I can't explain it to you, but I love the moon as much as I love my wife." Emeth sighed.

The sage simply shrugged.

After the silence had descended, it was rudely lifted by Oripheus saying, "You don't seem to hate me for what I did before."

"Why should I?" Emeth looked sideways at him. "It was clear that you'd always wanted to be the best. How can I blame someone for trying to be the best?"

Oripheus kept silent. Then he said, "Because I actually had the guts to challenge you with the intention of beating you down."

"Yeah, I noticed that," remarked Emeth. "You were really vicious. But then again you've proven that someone who works hard can be just as good as someone who is talented."

The sage turned to Emeth and took a deep breath. "Are you saying that you were testing me? Or are you being sarcastic?"

"I don't waste my time being sarcastic, Oripheus," said Emeth, still watching the landscape before him. "I like being direct. And I was never testing you, whatever you think."

"Then what are you--"

"I'm just saying that there's nothing to be ashamed of trying to best me," said the wizard. "Why are you so bothered about it? It's as if you're paranoid that I wouldn't forgive you for what you did."

In the silence Oripheus stared at Emeth.

"You're not angry with me?" he asked.

"No, why should I be?"

Oripheus opened his mouth. Oripheus shut his mouth.

"Look, Oripheus," said Emeth, straightening up and looking at him. "If it bothers you so much, I'd just say this. I don't hold grudges against people for what they wish in life, and I don't reject or shun them. Everyone else is unique. I can't deny it, and I can't ignore it. Simple. Is that better?"

"Well, it's just that being in your guild--"

"It's your guild, too."

Oripheus looked up in shock. Emeth was standing and looking at him with his head tilted.

"We're one big family here, remember?" he said. "As long as you want to help others, we're here. We're here for each other."

"Doesn't mean you accept us."

"Well, no, but incidentally it doesn't mean we don't, either." Emeth clapped Oripheus on the back. "The past is past. Let's be friends, and no looking back. It's the future now."

Oripheus continued to stare at Emeth. The wizard chuckled.

"Your expression is hilarious," he said. "I'm not really too easy with anything yet, but you do ease it up with that look of yours. Thanks."

* * *

Early next morning the senior guild along with Zweihaender, Arlena and Oripheus made their way to the dungeons. The guards let them through without question.

Valkron was sitting quite nonchalantly in his cell with his eyes closed. As the crowd approached he opened his eyes and looked up at them.

"Valkron!" exclaimed Iruna. She ran to the bars and clutched at them as if she was going to yank them out.

"I'm fine, Iruna," he said, getting to his feet and walking over to where she stood. He reached out and caressed her cheek. "I'm all right."

"What...why didn't you say anything to stop them from taking you away?" she asked.

"Because it has to happen."

Iruna stared. "Why--"

And then Valkron had put his arms around her, ignoring the cold steel bars of the cell. Her eyes widened as his lips brushed her ear.

In the silence, everyone watched the two from a safe distance. No one wanted to interrupt them.

Then, very quietly, Valkron drew back and returned to his cell. He smiled at them, and nodded.

Iruna turned away from the bars, still wide-eyed. She went back to where the others were standing.

"He says to not let Niki-Haru and Kyo into the court," she whispered, somewhat distantly, to them. "He says that we should leave him now, and come to see him in court. And he says not to do anything reckless and rash, and to leave him the way he will be. To not go with him."

"What is he talking about now?" asked Emeth, bewildered. "'To leave him the way he will be'? Why doesn't he want us to be with him?"

"He says that it's not our fault," she said, still in a trance-like state. "And that we should not get involved in something we did not do. We should not be punished for what is not our crime."

"He didn't do anything!" protested Eni.

Iruna did not say anything. Emeth grasped her shoulders and gently but firmly steered her out of the dungeons. Everyone followed him until they were standing outside.

"All right," he said to them. "We'll do what he says. Let's see what happens."

* * *

The Prontera Royal Court was packed by the time the court session began. Hundreds of people - not just guild leaders - came to watch. Even when there were no seats people squeezed up with others, up to the point that the court actually seemed to be overflowing with people.

It seemed that Serissa ("I really hate her now," muttered Samaroh) had spread the news of the arrest of Valkron and the suspension of both the Raulus and Black Cross. Emeth, sitting in court, had read the previous day's edition of _The Prontera Standard_ and had snorted quite a lot at the article. It had ended on the note that it was now a legal battle between the Raulus and the Black Cross, and their judge would be the King's Guild Correspondent.

But this time the media were not allowed inside the court - not even the knights from the Information Department. The doors stayed firmly shut to them, and they had to resort to standing outside and waiting for the news once the doors opened. It wasn't just the reporters from the Prontera Press and the knights from the Information Department - editors of periodicals, newspapers and tabloids alike from all over the kingdom had sent their reporters along, too. Even Juno had done so - and Juno wasn't even part of Rune-Midgard.

"Sensational, isn't it?" said Emeth dryly, as they were waiting for the judge and the jury. "You've got to admire how fast they spread on the word about the Raulus and the Black Cross."

"Please don't talk about it, Emeth," said Iruna, who was sitting next to him.

"Sorry."

Everyone stood up as the judge walked in, flanked by Pronteran guards. As they took up their stations, the judge sat down and looked on as the audience settled down as well. Valkron was in the defendant's stand; Vineis was amongst the crowd and somewhat unnaturally pale. His hair had been tied back again.

The introductions were the usual, and so were the procedures that followed. They watched as witness after witness was called up to the stand and asked questioned. To their relief all of them had good words for the Raulus and for Valkron.

Eventually Valkron got off, and Vineis was called up. However, after about thirty minutes of questioning witnesses in defence of him, the judge got down and stood to one side. Most of the audience stared at him in bewilderment.

And then the King's Guild Correspondent walked in.

Everyone stared as he sat down. The sage was holding the royal staff as usual; this a Prontera guard took and held while Seyren flipped through the papers he had been holding.

"This marks the beginning of the Guild Court session," he said quietly, looking up at everyone's questioning face.

If anyone had been feeling quite comfortable now, that feeling would have been destroyed with those words. Confidence was replaced by dread, worry and fear in a few seconds; suddenly it was as if the news of the end of the world had come upon them early.

Guild Court sessions were different than normal court sessions. This was where the Guild Correspondent would directly question the defendant, not the witnesses or anyone who was there as support. This was what made Guild Court sessions worse than the normal court sessions, because it all depended on the defendant (who was usually a guild leader).

The questions Seyren asked were direct and to the point. Vineis answered them with some difficulty; everyone could see he did not know the answers to quite a few. Seyren gave no indication as to whether he noticed, but wrote down the answers quietly.

At length, he said, "Thank you, Vineis. You may step down and return to your seat."

Vineis did so, somewhat shakily. Everyone watched him sit down, and then turned back to the front as Valkron came on again.

The knight's replies were solid, steadfast and honest. His friends noticed that he did not hide anything from Seyren at all. As the questioning wore on, Seyren's tone seemed to take on an admirable touch to it; it was as if he was approving of Valkron's honesty.

By the time Seyren was close to the end of the questioning the members of the Raulus guild present were looking relieved and hopeful. Valkron's face had not changed, but they were sure he was feeling the same. Iruna could not stop clutching Emeth's hand; the wizard let her be, because he knew how she felt.

Seyren leaned back in his seat and surveyed Valkron for some time. Finally he said, "Well, I have one last question to ask you before you go, Valkron. Is it true that you claim yourself to be a warrior of the world?"

There was a sharp gasp in the courtroom, before the audience began to mutter amongst themselves. The judge held up a hand; everyone fell silent.

"No," whispered Iruna, clutching Emeth's sleeve. None of them were wearing armour or headgear, or carrying anything in particular. They just wore their own out of work clothes.

Valkron stayed silent, his head bowed. Seyren raised an eyebrow. "Valkron? Please do answer."

Very slowly, the knight lifted his head. "Yes, it is true. I refer to myself as a warrior of the world."

This time the Prontera guards rapping the ends of their spears on the wooden planks beneath their feet were the silencer. Seyren gazed at Valkron for a long time.

Eventually he said, "Do you know that referring to yourself as a warrior of the world is a crime with a heavy penalty?"

"Yes, I do know."

"Do you not regret it?"

"It is my decision to make, and therefore I stay with my decision." Valkron had to raise his voice over the growing noise in the court. "I chose to be a warrior of the world, and I will not deny or renounce that choice."

By now the level of whispering had gone up drastically. The judge lifted a hand.

"Silence!" he said, in a voice that forced the noise level to drop.

Seyren blinked slowly. Then he said, "Thank you, Valkron. You may return to the side."

About one hundred pairs of eyes watched Valkron step down. Seyren began looking through his notes. There was no such thing as an interval for a Guild Court session, as he was reputed for his speed in analysing the answers to his questions.

After a short while where everyone had watched Seyren scribble notes and flip through pages with baited breath, the sage got to his feet.

"I have confirmed my verdict for the two guilds," he said in a clear voice. "By this my word is final, and once my verdict has been given there will be no alteration."

No one said anything. No one dared.

"Firstly, the Black Cross." Seyren turned to face where Vineis was sitting. "The Guild Liaison Office, if you may."

An officer got to his feet. He was bearing the GLO emblem on his breast pocket. Everyone looked at him.

"By order of the King's Guild Correspondent, the Guild Liaison Office has been commissioned to revoke the Guild Approval Stamp of the Black Cross," he said crisply, as if he had memorised his words from somewhere. "The Black Cross is to hand over all records, including those of which have been archived, and is to disband permanently as well as surrender its emperium to the Guild Liaison."

Emeth, looking at his fellow wizard, felt sorry for Vineis. The violet-haired wizard had gone whiter than milk and looked sick and afraid. For all Emeth knew, Vineis had deeply loved his guild.

"Now, for the Raulus." Seyren gathered his papers up and began to arrange them neatly. "Before the officer gives the order, I would like to ask the members of the Raulus who are present today among us one thing. Who here claims to be a warrior of the world, just like Valkron?"

Everyone looked at them. The only members there today were just the senior members and included Zweihaender, Arlena and Oripheus.

They were looking at Valkron.

The knight was shaking his head very slightly.

Emeth looked at Iruna. She looked back up at him and he saw the determination in her eyes. He looked at Kushana, who was sitting on the other side of him; she looked back up at him and nodded slightly. He looked down the row, and they all had the same fierce, determined look in their eyes.

As one, _the whole row_ got to their feet.

"We do," said Emeth, his clear voice reaching every pair of ears in the courtroom.

In the corner, Valkron's face was of shock and horror.

The only people who had not got to their feet were Shen, Adonis, Zweihaender, Arlena and Oripheus. Shen and Adonis already knew what was going to happen, and they had been told not to do the same. However...

Oripheus looked at his companions. Both of them seemed to be having the same thoughts - that they were not part of the Raulus, and therefore they did not need to stand up. But he knew they were unsure, too.

And he knew why.

_"The past is past. Let's be friends, and no looking back. It's the future now."_

He remembered Emeth's smile. Somehow...somehow the Raulus had given them what the Black Cross could not. Although the Black Cross had been under the loving care of Vineis, it had been just one big machine. The Raulus, on the other hand, was a family that fought for every member - and loved each other. Even though they were new, even though they had fought the Raulus before, the guild had not considered them as enemies. Instead it had taken them in.

The Raulus had been their family.

Oripheus did not remember if he had been happy. He might have, but that was long ago - and even so he did not want to think of his childhood. But when Emeth had said that to him, he had felt a warmth he had not had for a long time. A warmth that told him he belonged somewhere now.

None of them had ever belonged anywhere before.

He looked at the other two again. They looked agonised and uncomfortable. He knew what they knew.

He could not bear to let these people go.

And so, much to the shock of the main Raulus members, Oripheus got to his feet as well. Zweihaender and Arlena, after hesitating a little, followed suit.

"All of you who stand now confess to referring yourselves as and being warriors of the world?" asked Seyren. When they said nothing, he nodded.

"Very well." He looked at the Guild Liaison officer.

The man cleared his throat. "By order of the King's Guild Correspondent, the Guild Liaison Office has been commissioned to revoke the Guild Approval Stamp of the Raulus. The Raulus is to hand over all records, including those of which have been archived, and is to disband permanently as well as surrender its emperium to the Guild Liaison."

Seyren tapped the desk with his thick book of laws. "At this point in time I should pass the session on to the judge," he said, "but the judge has instructed me to give the order in his place. Those who have admitted they are warriors of the world are under arrest. You are to be placed in the cells along with your guild leader. Tomorrow you die at the Executioners' Wall under charges of treachery."

As the guards hauled them off, Emeth saw Valkron's saddened face.

* * *

They were pushed unceremoniously into the cells, all of them separate from each other. The iron bars clanged behind them, and then they were alone in the dim, dank prison.

"Why did you choose to come with me?" asked Valkron's voice bitterly from the shadows. "I wanted you to live on without me, to continue the work we've left behind."

"Was that what you saw of the future, Valkron?" snapped Emeth. He was almost invisible in the dark.

There was silence.

"Sometimes the future is decided by many things, Valkron," continued the wizard. "It doesn't all revolve around one person, or one thing in this world. You can't just say that we shouldn't go with you because you want us to stay back and do the work. What if we do but we all get caught later on? We don't have the knowledge like you do."

"He's right," said Amaru, from another part of the prison. "It's not up to you to decide."

"You decided our path for us during the Dark Portal," said Eni quietly. "Now we decided our own. We don't want to walk down something that was already laid out for us with absolutely no consideration for our beliefs."

"Besides, we admit we follow your ideals," remarked Nocturne. "And we do. It's not because you're going to die, Valkron. It's because we believe in it."

"Let the world know the loss it made through this decision," said Silas.

Valkron sighed.

"And I would never let you go alone, Valkron."

Iruna's soft voice silenced everyone. There was a shifting as the crusader moved a little.

"You've always been alone, Valkron," she said. "We're changing that. For you. We don't want you to die alone. Let us come with you. Please."

"Hey, Zweihaender," said Zak's voice. "Why didja stand up for?"

"Um..." began Zweihaender.

"I made the choice,' replied Oripheus' voice. "Zweihaender may be the unofficial leader, but I make the decisions here. All of us feel grateful to the guild. I know it's strange, but we chose because...the Raulus has made us feel at home. We have always searched for a place to call home, and your guild has given us one. Let us come on this journey with you. We are more than willing to set off on such a time with people like you."

There was an embarrassed silence. Then Emeth said, "So, Valkron?"

Valkron sighed again. "I can't stop you, can I?" he said. "Like you've never stopped me. It's only fair I let you go on."

Emeth smiled in the darkness. There were sounds of people moving around, before everything settled down.

Then, very quietly, Valkron said, "All of you...thank you."

* * *

When Vineis got back to Gondul the entire place was in an uproar. The wizard himself was not feeling well. He had just discovered that he had expelled almost every senior member in the guild - everyone save for Sheuth and Sedir.

But Sedir had never been a part of the administration. Vineis sought for Sheuth instead. He wandered through Gondul, looking for the rogue.

But he was nowhere to be found. Eventually the blacksmith Finnagan, feeling sorry for his former guild leader, went up to him.

"Vineis," he said, "Sheuth has left for the Brotherhood. We'll gather all the documents and send them to the Guild Liaison Office for you. Please rest."

Vines looked at him. "Thank you, Finnagan," he said. "But I will search for Sheuth. There must be some explanation for this."

Finnagan shrugged. "I can't stop you, Vineis."

The wizard went to get everything he owned. Once he was ready, he left his belongings with the Kafra near the North Gate and went into the Prontera Culverts.

Vineis wandered through the labyrinthine sewers. He knew his way to the entrance of the Brotherhood, so within ten minutes he found himself facing a guard rogue.

"Who do you want to see?" the rogue asked him, barring the way.

"Sheuth."

"Sheuth? He's in a meeting with Raven now."

"Please, I really need to see him," said Vineis. "It's urgent."

The rogue considered this, and then conceded. "Fine. Do you know the way to Raven's office?"

"Yes, I do. I've been here before; Sheuth took me down here," he added, seeing the guard's surprised face.

He walked through the passages as if in a dream and came to a door, which he knocked on. No one answered. He knocked again, this time a little harder.

"Come in," said someone.

Vineis opened the door and walked in.

And stopped short.

Sheuth was standing in front of Raven's desk and facing the door. The senior rogue was nowhere to be seen.

"Ah, Vineis," he said. "Well, well, well."

"Sheuth...where's Raven?" asked the wizard, closing the door behind him.

"He's out to get someone," answered the brown-haired rogue. "In any case, I was looking forward to meeting you. I must be lucky today."

"What? Look, Sheuth, please come back with me," said Vineis. "Let's look for a place we can stay."

"The house in North Prontera is yours, Vineis," said the rogue. "And anyway, why should I come with you?"

"Because you've always been with me," replied the wizard. "You've always helped me out, and you've been by my side all the time. Why are you leaving me alone?"

Sheuth laughed. "Oh, Vineis...you're unbelievably naive, aren't you? Why do you think your guild was disbanded?"

Vineis stared at him.

"I left the guild shortly after Alya died, Vineis. You never knew because you were so angry. I filed a report to the Guild Liaison Office to say that you were undermining the Raulus using underhand tactics - and you were."

"But...Sheuth, why?"

"Why? You ask me why?" Sheuth laughed. "You _are_ so childish! Like you were before!"

"What--"

"Let me explain from the very beginning. When we were children, you stole my childhood from me. My parents - _my_ parents, Vineis - attended to your every wish and whim. You were so spoilt! At first I thought I'd let you be, seeing as you were the way you were that time, and I thought it would get better as you recovered.

"But no, it never did. My parents loved you more than they loved me. I started hating you a long time ago, Vineis. Longer than you can imagine. 'Course, I helped you out with everything, but I never said I did it because I loved you.

"So, I was the one who plotted everything. The Raulus kickstarted it, too - if it weren't for them my plan would have never been carried out. By attacking us they gave me the perfect opportunity for me to start forcing the Black Cross to attack them and break all the laws at the same time.

"Aramithar, that alchemist in the Raulus. Don't you remember him? He could synthesise anything in the blink of an eye. He made a certain drug that could put people under hypnosis, but it wasn't very well developed when he voluntarily left us. So I got Sedir to work on it, and asked him to place a certain dark spell.

"How did it work? Whoever consumes the drug will be knocked out, and when they come around the first voice they hear will be the voice that they will obey without question, under hypnosis. I made sure you heard my voice - and I made sure Sagna heard my voice too.

"Yes, I killed Alya indirectly. She was getting on my nerves. She knew my plans, and she wanted to tell you. But you were so busy with your research you didn't even want to listen to her. I made Sagna murder her, and told him his father never loved him because he wasn't worth it. One young life destroyed!

"I slipped the drug into your tea when I was bringing it up for you. It worked well! I told you to write out orders of expulsion for almost all the senior guild members, and sign them off. No one cared about the date they were written. After Alya died it was so easy to force you to get rid of Lucius, who would have stopped me if he hadn't stepped in when you were angry.

"As for Zweiheander, Arlena and Oripheus, I told them an absolute lie to get them to go and fight the Raulus. And they believed me! So one by one I got rid of them, until you were alone with Sedir and me.

"My ultimate plan was to disband the Black Cross, but the Raulus got in the way, just like the other guilds. They knew I was planning your demise, and they wanted to help. The El Midor, the Odyssey...I got rid of them by setting up false charges. Ol' Gillivan would have caught me, but the weak, stupid hunter refused to tell the court because of his perception of honour. And now where is he? Dead and in Nifleheim!

"And Seyren never knew! Seyren, so by the book and so strict, never saw what was coming for him!" Sheuth put his hands on his hips. "The best plan I've ever had, don't you think? Two guilds down the drain, King's Guild Correspondent a fool, so many lives torn apart! And that includes yours, my dear half-brother!"

Vineis was trembling. "You did all this?" he said shakily. "Just because you hated me?"

"Oh, it was more than hate," replied the rogue. "It was far more than that. And don't give me the excuse that you were brought up without a childhood. You were never strong enough to return to who you were before you lost your mind, and because of that you stole my parents from me!"

"Your father is my father as well!"

"So? We only share half the blood, Vineis! You're not my true brother, whatever you say!" Sheuth was laughing hysterically by now. "See, Vineis? Who would have thought two half-brothers, gone insane, would have been such powerful guild managers!"

The wizard stared at him. "I spent my childhood without love," he said. "People used me and played around with me. I hated it. I hated it so much I forgot who I was, and what I lived for. It felt like I was dead inside. After I met you, after I met Alya, so many things changed...and you took them from me?"

"Well, come to think of it you took so much from me, too," said Sheuth. "It should only be fair."

"And now I've sent a guild to its death?" Vineis fell to his knees with a thump, still looking up at Sheuth in despair. "You made me send a guild to its death? The Raulus members are facing execution tomorrow!"

"You did say you wanted to get rid of them."

"Yes, but not like this! Not killing them!" Vineis looked at his hands. "What have I done?"

"Oh, a lot," said Sheuth. "A lot. And you are no better than me, either."

He walked around Raven's desk as the wizard stared at the floor. "So you see...revenge is really sweet when you achieve it. And now that you know everything...there's not much of a point for me to hang around anymore, is there? My parents gave you what I should have had. You have everything. Go home. I don't want to see you anymore."

The door opened behind Vineis just then, and Raven and Adiemus stepped in.

"Sheuth-- what? Vineis?" exclaimed Raven. "What are you doing--"

"I thought you were there for me this whole time," said Vineis. His voice was steady now, but bitter. "I trusted you to help me. All this while I thought, 'Sheuth is my older half-brother. I have to repay him for what he did. I'll repay him with my trust and my dreams. My ambitions. And 

you planned against me. Just because I came into your life and forced you to take care of me. Is that what a brother should do?"

"I don't know," said Sheuth airily. "Half-brothers aren't real brothers. So why should I care? If we were full brothers I would have treated you differently, but since we're half-brothers I just helped out half of your life. Get the joke?"

As Raven opened his mouth, enraged, Vineis answered. "You...took everything I loved from me. I needed it, Sheuth. I needed to be human again. Alya healed me, and the Black Cross was like my family. I loved them so much. Now they're both gone, and even worse...the Raulus is gone as well."

He began to sob, but through his sobs they could still hear, "What have I done now? I've destroyed so much when all I wanted to do was rebuild my life and understand why I've suffered so much. And you...you..."

"Aah, why wax lyrical about my deeds?" said Sheuth, turning to face him, the desk between them. "Look at what you've done to me. Your own mother forced you into insanity; now you've done the same to me. It's only fair, don't you think?"

There was silence, save for Vineis' sobs. Sheuth smirked; Raven looked outraged. Adiemus just looked shocked.

Then, all of a sudden, Vineis got to his feet. His hair flowed down, loose from its elastic band.

"And you can still laugh about it?" he half-shrieked, half-sobbed. "For all these years you laughed at me when I trusted you? When will I ever find a true friend? _When will people stop using me?_"

In one swift movement he had whipped a dagger off Raven's desk. As Sheuth laughed Vineis threw the dagger at him.

The rogue's laugh was cut short. The blade had sunk into Sheuth's throat.

Sheuth collapsed, his eyes blank and wide open, blood running from the wound. Vineis sank back down to his knees and sobbed violently, his face in his hands. Raven and Adiemus continued to stare as rogues gathered behind them, wondering what the commotion was all about.

"I'm sorry," Vineis sobbed. "I'm sorry."

But all three knew it was already too late.

* * *

The next morning Valkron and the others were rudely shoved out of their prison. Blinking in the bright morning light, they were hauled off to the Executioners' Wall.

Valkron didn't even have the time to say anything to the others. None of them did. They did not even look at each other as they were brought to the Wall. The guards quickly bound their hands behind their backs to the wooden stakes set in the ground before the wall and blindfolded them. It was not comfortable - the wood was hard and cold, the bonds tight and the position aching.

Emeth could see nothing at all, but he could tell that there were hundreds of people silently watching. He did not know what Valkron was thinking now, because he knew the knight had experienced this from the point of the crowd, but he concentrated.

The guard read out their charges. The one that grabbed the crowd's attention the most was the breaking of the decree that had stated "warriors of the world must not exist for the sake of the kingdom". This included the king, who was attending the execution as well.

"Well, these people truly deserve to die," he said, leaning back in his heavily gilded seat after the guard had finished reading out the charges. "They are nothing in this kingdom, and the kingdom must do without them."

He leaned forward. "Well? Any last words?"

No one said anything. Emeth himself was outraged and bursting with a lot of things to say, but he did not say them. He knew the others wanted to say something too, but no one dared. "Let the world know its own loss," as Silas had said.

The king leaned back, nodding smugly. Seyren was next to him, standing like a statue.

"Do it."

The head archer raised his hand. Immediately the archers standing in front of the blindfolded captives raised their bows.

And then suddenly there was a song.

It had begun on a slightly weak note, as if the voice of the owner hadn't been ready. But it strengthened, and as it strengthened it became richer and more powerful.

If Emeth could have turned his head, he would have turned it towards Valkron.

The knight's voice was clear and firm, smooth and deep. Emeth felt the overwhelming sense of awe as Valkron began to sing for what was the last time for the Raulus.

"_Does the sun fall  
when the storm is raging?  
Do the birds die__  
when the world is changing?  
Beyond what others see,  
we believe in the truth._"

When Valkron began the second verse, Emeth joined in. And slowly, all of them began to sing. No one stopped them; the song became like a tune that entranced all of them, touching something inside that they never knew existed until now.

"_When the world calls,  
we give a helping hand.  
When the people cry,  
we are there to understand.  
Our duty, our honour,  
lies in the power to soothe._

_Warriors of old,  
we rise to fight;  
Defending our world  
from the evils of might.  
Those who are blind,  
then will see  
The dream they are living  
is a fallacy._

_Truth be told, in the end  
Our downfall is by our own men.  
And like the fiery bird of the heavens,  
We will rise again._"

The voices ended sharply, but the song seemed to continue on its own accord. It was like an invisible stream of something passing them, touching them and their hearts--

"That is what you have to say?" King Tristan's voice broke through the dream. "Very well. Archers!"

The archers raised their bows again. Their bowstrings creaked as they pulled the arrows back to the maximum.

They fired.

Seyren suddenly became aware that his hair was ruffling in one direction - towards the Wall. But there was no wind. He looked around. No one else seemed to have noticed.

He turned to look behind him.

There was a rush of something past him, before his vision filled with bright white light. But it was calm in its midst, even though his hair was still being blown towards the wall.

Seyren stared for a long time. He did not stop staring long after it had ended. Because he had seen something in the light - something which made him realise he had made the biggest mistake in his life.

While that was going on, the arrows sped onwards to their targets, unstoppable and fast. All of them could hear the whistling sound as the arrows flew towards them, and waited...

...for the arrows that never came.

Blinding white light engulfed them. There was a rush of something going past them, a touch of what felt like soft feathers, and then everything was gone.

* * *

When the light faded away, the entire crowd went into an uproar. The wooden stakes were devoid of their captives; the arrows lay uselessly on the ground between the archers and the poles.

"Find them!" shouted King Tristan. "Set up constant watches! I want these people executed!"

If only he had asked Seyren, the sage would have told him that it hadn't been magic that whisked away the prisoners.

* * *

Valkron did not remember much from what had happened after the white light had flown past them. He vaguely recalled warmth from a pair of white arms wrapping around him, but that was it. Everything came to a stop there.

His face ached. It seemed to be stuck to a cold, hard surface. He opened his eyes.

At first everything was just a blur. Then, very slowly, his surroundings resolved into a large room.

Valkron got off the floor first. Rubbing his cheek gingerly, he sat up and checked himself. He was fine.

The floor was strange. He had never seen such material before. It was bluish-green and smooth to the touch. Valkron looked around him and realised that the walls were made of the same bluish-green stone - but with elaborate curls carved all over them. They seemed to be a sort of very old script.

The knight looked around again, and gave a start. Iruna was lying next to him on the floor, just like he had been. All around him the members of the Raulus were scattered, looking as if they were completely asleep in peace.

He shook Iruna by the shoulders. Eventually she came around; her eyes fluttered open and she stared at him.

"Iruna, are you all right?" he asked her, ignoring a groan as Emeth got off the floor.

"Hm?" She sat up. "I'm fine...I think. I just have this ache, as if I've been dropped onto the floor."

"At least you're okay..." Valkron trailed off as he looked around.

Around them, the rest were getting to their feet. They too were fine, apart from complaining about their aches. But it wasn't them who had attracted his attention.

"What is it, Iruna?" he said.

"This place...seems familiar." The crusader got to her feet and brushed the carvings on the wall with the tips of her fingers. "But I can't place it. Why are we here?"

"I swear I thought we all died," said Samaroh shakily, from nearby.

"I don't think we're dead," Valkron remarked. "This doesn't look like any of the nine worlds. Definitely not Nifleheim, for one."

"Well, how would you know?" asked the priest.

"The lack of corpses and the dragon Nidhogg makes a great clue, don't you think?"

"Shh, stop arguing." Iruna looked around again. "Look over there."

They looked where she had pointed, and stared. There was a staircase leading upwards.

Into the ceiling.

"Well, it looks like someone wants us to walk through solid stone," said Samaroh, brushing a few stray strands of his flat hair away from his eyes. "If that _is_ stone, that is."

"I doubt it," muttered Oripheus.

Emeth sniffed. "It...smells funny here. Don't bother sniffing," he added, hearing a few faint snuffles behind him. "Only wizards and sages can smell it."

"He's right," said Oripheus and Nalini.

"What does it smell like?" Valkron asked Emeth.

"Old," replied the wizard. "Like time. If time had a smell."

"Well, we'll see if we can get out of here first." Valkron looked around again. "Hey, how about pressing the walls? There might be a lever somewhere."

It turned out, after some time, that the walls were completely devoid of levers or buttons or any mechanism required to open doors.

"Not much of a choice, do we?" asked Emeth.

"I'll go and take a look at the staircase," said Valkron, but no one was listening. They were now talking about what other options they had, sans the staircase.

The knight walked up to them and examined the stairs. They seemed to be made of the same stone as everything else, except with a purplish tinge. Valkron looked up at the ceiling, which was too dark to tell whether there was a door there or not.

He cast a look back at the others. They were still talking, so he put one foot on the bottom stair. He wondered for a while, and then gave up and began making his way up.

As he went, the sounds from below began to fade. He did not look behind himself, because he knew he wasn't going very far up, considering how many steps he had just walked up--

He hit his head on something above him.

Valkron swore, clutching his head as he tried to keep his balance on the narrow staircase. Stars were still circling his head happily; he shut his eyes and sat down on the steps to re-orientate himself.

"What happened?" asked someone. Valkron opened his eyes to see Samaroh standing just below him. The others were gathering around the foot of the stairs, looking up at Valkron.

"Argh. Just cracked my head open on something." Valkron looked up carefully and reached out. "I think it's the ceiling. Just hang on a bit, will you? And no, I'm fine."

He got to his feet and felt around above his head. Eventually he located the solid obstacle in his way. Yes, it was the ceiling by the feel of it.

"Nothing there, Valkron?" Nocturne called up to him. "No door?"

"Not that I can feel any," replied the knight. "It's all cold stone...hey, Emeth? Could you come up here, please? It's far too dark."

Emeth made his way up to where Valkron was, carefully. He was taller than Valkron, so the risk of hitting his head was much higher than Valkron's. Eventually he lay down on the staircase and lit a small fireball to allow Valkron to use.

The knight took the fireball and held it up to the ceiling. It seemed smooth, with no cracks or anything else in the stone.

"Looks like this staircase leads nowhere," he said. "There isn't a door here."

"Hang on, Valkron." Emeth pulled himself up along the steps. "Look over there. No, a bit more to the right. Yeah, that one."

"I don't feel anything," said Valkron, feeling around. "Sure you got it right?"

"I swear there was this glimmer of light, but maybe I'm imagining things."

"What, at this time in this place? You're kidding me-- wait." Valkron leaned closer.

After a while he said, "I can feel a draught here. I think there's a crack here - a very fine crack, but a crack nevertheless. I'm going to try and push upwards to see if it moves, all right?"

The stone was _heavy_. Valkron strained against the ceiling as he forced his back into it; a vein stood out on his forehead from the effort.

"Need - help," he gasped.

Amaru and Silas detached themselves from the crowd while Emeth got off the staircase. All three men grunted as they shoved at the ceiling. Suddenly there was a grinding sound, and a part of the ceiling moved slightly.

"Stop for a bit," gasped Valkron, turning around. He felt around and detected a slight crack. It ran around in a large square.

"Valkron, I can replace you if you like," called Zweihaender from the bottom.

"Thanks." The knight got off, and Zweihaender went up to help the other two. Everyone watched as, bit by bit, they moved the square slab of stone up and sideways.

It rose out of the ceiling as they did. Zweihaender, who had suffered a bruised shoulder earlier on, was replaced by Valkron. Soon it was out; Valkron, Amaru and Silas pushed it a little to one side. It was just a slab of stone, with no hinges; more or less it was like a floor tile.

"Right, I'm going up," said Valkron. "Pull me back down if I yell out to you, okay?"

And with that, he pushed aside the stone even further and hauled himself out.

He got to his feet and looked around. Then he poked his head back inside.

"You need to come and see this," he said.

Hesitantly, they made their way up the staircase and got out of the hole in the floor. However, the realised that it was the best choice they had ever made.

They were standing in a large hall. The place was breathtakingly beautiful; the walls were made of marble and carved with the same strange curled patterns as in the room below. The stone seemed to glimmer; the entire hall was silver near the floor, and gold near the ceiling.

They stared up at the stunning architecture and the radiant light shining through the hall's windows. No one could tell where they were from the windows - the light outside was so bright that there was a risk of being blinded.

The corridor they were walking along was quite wide, and supported by massive pillars of what appeared to be crystal. They made their way along it, whispering and pointing at the beauty of the place. For some reason the place was quieter than a church - and with a hush similar to it.

They came out into a massive chamber, where there was no windows save for a vast dome overhead, through which sunlight fell through to illuminate the place. The sunlight shimmered on the strange stone, and small glowing specks of white light were drifting around. The atmosphere was so dream-like...and yet they knew they were in the real world.

"I think I know where this is," whispered Iruna, as she looked around. "The architecture, this strange feeling...it has to be one place in the whole of Rune-Midgard. But I never knew it existed; I thought it was only a legend."

"You are right," said a voice. "It was a legend."

As one they turned to see a young man standing near a pair of doors. He was wearing robes similar to an acolyte's and had a round head of golden hair and bright blue eyes. Although his fringe was long his eyes were the most striking feature of him.

"My name is Metheus Sylphe," he said, bowing slightly. "She has been waiting for you."

"Who?" asked Valkron.

"Her." The man waved a hand at the doors. "The one who resides in these halls."

"Where are we, exactly?" asked Iruna. "I really do want to know."

"What is your guess?" asked Metheus, smiling.

The crusader looked apprehensive. "Um...well, I'm not so sure, but...I'd say this place looks remarkably like the Hall of the Skies, where the famous Stairway to Asgard was created."

"But that's in Juno," began Nalini.

"I know. The story goes that a young scholar dreamed of a place where people could at least see Asgard, Vanaheim and Alfheim, and built it according to the dream in the highest reaches of the Sage Academy. However, no one actually knew if it was actually built or not."

"You are correct," said Metheus. "I am that scholar."

As everyone stared at him, he continued, "All of you have been brought here by Her. She is waiting for you. I usually ask for a fee to enter these doors, but She says that all of you do not have to pay."

"Why do we have to pay just to go through?" asked Samaroh. "It's not like this is a big attraction."

"You pay for the reward that lies at the end of the journey you will take when you step through these doors," answered Metheus.

"What lies beyond the doors?" asked Emeth.

Metheus smiled. "If you step through, you will know."

There was silence. Then Valkron said, "It's not like we've got a choice, do we? If we're in Juno, we can't actually leave the city at all because we're probably wanted criminals by now."

"True," they agreed.

"Does this door lead to the outside world?" Valkron asked Metheus.

"All doors lead somewhere," he answered. "It just depends which door you open. However, this door will take you where you must go."

"Valkron?" asked Emeth.

"Yes?"

"Did you foresee this?"

The knight shrugged. "If I did, I wouldn't be telling you. If I didn't, how should I know?"

"You're as cryptic as Mr Sylphe here," retorted the wizard.

"So we just...walk through?" Valkron said, turning back to Metheus.

"Yes."

"No strings attached?"

"Trust me." The scholar smiled. "I had a reason for building this place."

The knight looked back at his friends again. They nodded firmly. He turned back.

Metheus had already seen them agree. He stepped back, returning something to his long sleeves. The door was slightly open.

"When others go through this door later on, they will pass through a labyrinth, and then a long, spiralling corridor," he told them. "But She had specially arranged this for you, so after you read the book on the great pedestal you will immediately be teleported to Her doors. Do not be afraid to enter. Remember - She is expecting you."

Valkron nodded. Then he took a deep breath, pushed the doors open and went in.

The light beyond it was so bright he was nearly blinded. He shielded his eyes and waited until his eyes adjusted to it before looking around again.

He was in a long corridor. The walls were made of some strange material that shone and glittered subtly. From time to time rays of sunlight seemed to fall through before disappearing and reappearing, as if the sun was being blocked by clouds speeding across the sky.

When everyone was through, the doors quietly shut behind them. Valkron was already halfway along the corridor, walking towards the other end where he could see an octagonal platform. On the platform, in an octagonal room, was a tall podium; atop the podium was a book emitting rays of light and hovering above the podium.

He wasn't too sure if he could read whatever was in the book, but Valkron was determined to go first in order to see if it was safe. As the others gathered around at the foot of the platform, he got onto it and went towards the podium.

The knight looked into the book.

The pages at which the book was open to were blank.

Valkron stared. The light from the book was illuminating his face, but it didn't seem bright - instead, it felt comfortable and warm on his skin.

Suddenly, as if an invisible hand had picked up an invisible quill and began to write, words began to appear on the open pages. They were all in Old Runic, and Valkron understood them perfectly.

_Beyond my pages lie your future,  
Beyond my pages lie your dreams.  
For you, your life will go on no matter what you have foreseen.__  
What is written here will be for your eyes, and no other;  
the same for the others._

And Valkron knew what it was talking about.

The page turned, and the white light rose off the book and wrapped itself around him. He felt light and refreshed; a cooling sensation rose through his body and mind, and closed his eyes.

When he opened them again he was standing in a hall similar to the chamber where Metheus Sylphe had been in. Behind him was a solid wall; at the end of the long hall were a pair of great doors.

Valkron took a few steps forward, and then suddenly Iruna was next to him. It had happened in the blink of an eye.

"Where are we?" she asked, looking around. "This isn't Juno."

"No? Really?"

"This is a hall," she explained. "Not a chamber, not a room. It's like...the halls of the gods in Asgard."

"You've never been to Asgard, how can you tell?"

"I do read, you know," she said, giving him a look.

Emeth appeared. "Whoa, what is this place?" he asked, looking around in awe.

"That was exactly what we were asking about," said Valkron. "But the only way to find out is to walk onwards. We'll wait for the others first, though."

Eventually everyone arrived. They set off for the doors at the other end of the hall in silence.

It took some time for them to pull open one door wide enough to let one person through. The reason was because the doors were heavier than they thought. Valkron also noted something else - although the walls and the ceiling seemed to be solid, the ceiling seemed to be made wholly out of spears, while the walls were all shields. He kept quiet on this, though, because he had a feeling he knew where this was.

And then they were through.

They were in an even bigger hall. At the other end of it was a vast fireplace, devoid of fire; within it was a massive iron cooking pot of old. Although the hall was empty, Valkron had a feeling that it had people and furniture in it - it was just that they could not see what it was.

Probably because they were still alive.

They could have gone on looking, but by now everyone was looking up at the other end of the hall in apprehension and awe.

There was someone standing there. At eight feet, it was an intimidating figure radiating the purest white light they had ever seen. It was walking towards them, and as it drew closer the figure became clearer and clearer.

Valkron dropped to one knee, still gazing at the figure in awe. Then he bowed his head. The others followed suit as the figure's footsteps echoed through the hall.

"Rise, warriors of the world."

They did so, albeit reluctantly. Valkron looked up first - and found himself breathless.

Before them was the slender yet powerful figure of a woman. She had golden hair falling in curls to her waist, and the bluest eyes he had ever seen. Her armour was silver, with bold red markings, her white skirt fluttered out behind her in a wind that they could not feel. In her right hand she held a shimmering tri-pronged spear; she was crowned with a wreath of olive leaves that seemed to have been made of emeralds rimmed with gold to hold the separate 'leaves' in their places.

And on either side of her, sprouting from her shoulders, were a pair of white, feathered wings. They were so massive that the pinion feathers were trailing behind her on the floor even though she had furled them; she had another pair of much smaller but equally white wings from her waist.

_Welcome_, she said. _I see you know me._

Her mouth did not move; it was her voice that entered Valkron's head, but it did not feel as if it had gone through his ears. He knew the others had the same thing.

"I...who would not know you?" he said, somewhat awkwardly.

_Yes, you know. Everyone who sees me will know. But today...you are the first people to step through the door and begin life anew._

"Why are we here?"

The Valkyrie smiled. _You have just died, Valkron. All of you. You no longer exist in Midgard as the people you used to be. Valkron the knight, Emeth the wizard...there will be no such people in the kingdom you used to belong to any longer._

_I have brought you here in order that you may continue your work, but without being troubled by your pasts. Through me you will gain more power. People will finally understand the meaning of warrior of the world._

"We don't want power," said Emeth. "We just want to protect the world."

_The world is changing, Emeth_, said the Valkyrie. _There will be a time when you are needed, and you will serve that time. Not for others, but for the world. In order to fulfil the needs of Midgard in the future, you will need power beyond man's imagination - for the sake of the race of Man._

"And why just us?" asked Iruna.

_You are our warriors._ The Valkyrie smiled fondly at them. _The cycle will not end until the last battle has been fought. Soon people will earn the right to follow in your footsteps, but I will not be here to greet them like I am with you, now. One of my sisters will see to them - and I am afraid they will not be chosen like you were. They will not be chosen for who they are and what they believe in. You are the first, because you are true warriors of the world._

Valkron nodded, as if agreeing with the Valkyrie. "And in time, we will regain everything we have lost."

_Yes._ She unfurled her wings slightly. _You have a choice. All of you. It is this: you can decide whether you want to return to the world below or not. If you do not, then welcome to Asgard. You are standing in Valhalla at this very minute._

As the others gaped, Valkron asked, "And what if we choose to go back?"

_If you return, you will begin life again, but this time with a gift from us and more strength than you can ever imagine. This is the path I recommend you to follow - the path of the phoenix. Be reborn once again, and fight in the world as you have done before. If you wish to return, stand on my right; if you wish to stay, stand on my left._

In the silence, Silas stepped to the right of the Valkyrie. Zak followed suit, followed by Kumahar. Then, very slowly, all of them moved to the right of the Valkyrie.

Except for Oripheus, Zweihaender and Arlena.

_Why do you hesitate? _She asked them.

"Well..." Oripheus began. He looked behind him at the other two, who looked as agonised as he felt. He turned back and continued, "...you see, we're not actually warriors of the world. We decided to follow Valkron because of what he'd done for us."

_You are not warriors of the world. That is correct. However, by following Valkron in a bid to repay him and not fearing death, you have proved yourself worthy of such a status._ The Valkyrie tilted her head slightly. _So what is your choice?_

"But we're not as powerful as them!"

_Power is nothing to them._ She waved a hand at the others. _They died for their beliefs and their world. They are powerful not because of what they can do, but because of what they believe in and do as a result. And you, by dying with them, show that you are capable of such power yourselves._

Oripheus looked taken aback, and was about to answer when Arlena put a hand on his arm.

"Oripheus," she said, "it's the Valkyrie who's talking to you."

The sage looked down at his feet for a few minutes. Then he looked back up and said, "I will accept your offer to walk the path you've set out for them."

The Valkyrie smiled. _Come._

In the silence they moved to the right. The Valkryie unfurled her wings completely and stretched them out to their full length; the wings were an impressive six feet each. The light around her grew brighter and stronger, but this time they were not blinded by it - they felt the warmth as the light filled Valhalla.

With a mighty beat of her wings, the Valkyrie had risen into the air. She raised her head and stretched her arms to the ceiling. The hall seemed to dissolve away into nothingness - white, bright nothingness.

The last thing they saw of her was her golden hair flying out behind her and her head raised with her eyes closed, like a magnificent angel calling out to the gods as white light surrounded them and everything - and everyone - disappeared.

* * *

Both chapters 69 and 70 inspired by Musician - the piano piece Allen Walker plays in D.Gray-man.


	70. Epilogue

Chapter 70  
**Epilogue**

Niki-Haru browsed through the swords in a stall, looking for something that would give her an advantage over the monsters in Byalan Island as well as completely affordable. Of course, no one gave her a second look - and she was not too eager to show herself off, either.

It had been several months since the Raulus had disbanded. After a few weeks the media had tired of asking where the senior members had gone, and went on to other things. Niki-Haru had gone back home with Kyo.

It had felt like a long time, but she still remembered.

Niki-Haru sighed and gave up on the stall. The swords were overpriced and weak. It would not do her good to buy any of them.

The swordswoman walked around the stalls for a little longer, and finally went and bought herself some food. Oddly enough, she felt tired although all she had been doing that day was looking for good swords. She was happy that it was her day off today; she didn't think she could go to lessons in the mood she was in.

As she ate she watched the people bustling around her as they went about their business. Prontera was filled even at this time of the day. Maybe she shouldn't have picked her off-day to be today.

But he could only meet her today, and she badly wanted to see him...

She finished her meal and continued to watch. The place she was sitting near was the place she had promised to meet him. He said he would be running late, so she would not move until he came. It was best for her.

Suddenly her eyes caught sight of something. She stood up, her skirt rustling in the sudden movement. It could not be...

"Emeth?" she breathed.

The crowd parted, and she felt disappointed. The person she had seen had red hair, but he was wearing mage clothes. They were of a different colour, but he was still a mage and he did not look particularly like Emeth, anyway - especially not from the back.

Niki-Haru felt lonely and forgotten. When the Raulus had disbanded, she had felt as if she had lost her family. She had hoped that Valkron and his friends had lived the execution, that the rumours saying that the execution had failed were true. But she had never seen them since. Guards had scoured the kingdom a hundred times over, and they had found none of them.

She wanted them back. She missed Iruna. The crusader had treated her as if she had been her daughter, and Niki-Haru had never been treated like that. And - she still couldn't believe she felt this way, but she did - she missed Valkron terribly. He had not talked to her much because he knew how much she had disliked him, but now she regretted it. She wanted to thank him for all he had done, and to tell him that he did not need to teach her - his actions had explained enough for her.

In her life, Niki-Haru had never felt more lonely.

"Hey, Niki."

The swordswoman looked up into the slightly older, more serious face of Kyo.

"Thinking about them again?" he asked her.

"How did you know?"

"You always look sad when you think about them. It's the only time you ever look sad."

Niki-Haru sighed and looked down at her hands. "You're right."

"Come on, let's go and have a bit of fun," he said gently, holding out a hand to her. "Don't be sad. Valkron won't want you to miss him. He'd want you to go on. To keep walking onwards."

She looked up into his face and thought, _He's growing up so fast._

_So am I._

"Come on," he urged her. "Let's go."

His words had stirred a memory in her mind. She remembered how Valkron had continued to fight for what he believed in, whether or not people supported him. Somehow, even though she too knew that he had suffered, it hadn't mattered to him. Nothing had, except for living.

Her face broke into a smile. "Okay, Kyo."

She took his hand and got up from the bench. The thief smiled and pulled out his fox mask.

"Let's go hunting again, shall we?" he said.

Niki-Haru looked at him.

"Yes," she said. "Let's."

The two teenagers disappeared into the crowd. After a while, the mage that Niki-Haru had thought was Emeth looked over his shoulder, back at where the two of them had gone. He was frowning slightly, as if he could vaguely recall their appearances, but could not place them.

He had golden eyes.

**-End-**


End file.
